The top of the UFC welterweight division is a debatable since Stephen Thompson crushed former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks at UFC Fight Night 82 last month.
This is the official rankings, after champion Robbie Lawler.
1 Rory MacDonald
2 Stephen Thompson
3 Tyron Woodley
4 Carlos Condit
5 Johny Hendricks
During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Thompson tried to figure out why he didn’t get a title shot. He and his management asked for a title shot, but “UFC wasn’t having it.” Instead, Thompson is fighting Rory MacDonald at UFC Fight Night 89, on June 18 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
“After beating Johny Hendricks, the No. 2-ranked guy before and former welterweight champion – some even say that his last fight was controversial with Robbie Lawler – I definitely wanted that fight,” said Thompson, as transcribed by Luke Thomas for MMA Fighting. “I know Rory MacDonald fought him last July, actually fought him the day before I fought Ellenberger, and ended up losing.
“I thought they would give the new guy a shot. That’s the fight I wanted and still want, but sometimes it doesn’t go your way.”
“I’m ranked #2. There’s one guy in front of me, the No. 1 contender, which is Rory MacDonald. That’s why I’m in the game: to fight the best. I want that spot and Rory MacDonald, it is!”
“I don’t know what the UFC was thinking, they matched us up. Everybody’s saying, ‘Hey, you trained at Tristar.’ Actually, the last time I trained at Tristar was several years ago when Georges [St-Pierre] was still fighting. I think it was before I was even fighting in MMA was the last time I was there.
“We always keep in touch. Georges and Firas [Zahabi], they’re good friends of mine and so is Rory MacDonald. A) I was wanting the Robbie Lawler fight, b) I don’t want to fight a friend, but I know it’s business.”
“[MacDonald and I] understand it’s business. It is what it is, man. You really can’t do anything.”
“I saw him at the press conference and went over there and said, ‘Hey, every time we see each other, we always talk.’ Been to a few after parties together and just kinda hanging out, being there at Tristar. Being new to the game, he’s helped me out a lot at the time with being a good wrestling coach. We’ve never actually sparred, but he was a wrestling partner.
“‘Hey man, it sucks that we gotta do it. But he understands it’s business and we’ll be buds after. We’re just going to be friends that are going to punch each other in the face.”
If he beats MacDonald, he argues there is no way to deny him a title shot.
“If they don’t give it to me, there’s something wrong,” he said. “I’m going to be pushing like crazy. I’m not the type of guy to really sit out and wait for anything, but I’m the #1 contender. They have to give it to me. I don’t know why they wouldn’t at that point.
“I know I can put on a good show and I know I can beat Robbie Lawler. I know I can be the welterweight champion.”
“I’m not trying to be disrespectful to Johny Hendricks or anything. That was just my night. After, I was just like, ‘Man, that was easy. I know I came late into the MMA game. I’m still learning. I know I am. Still evolving. I’m 33 years old, but I feel like I haven’t even hit my peak yet. I know that I can give a lot more.”
“Just the confidence I had going in there was unbelievable. To be honest, I did more drilling than I did sparring. We knew exactly what Johny Hendricks was going to do. He wasn’t the type of guy to really make any dramatic changes. If you’ve seen Johny Hendricks fight, from the very beginning to the very end, he’s fought pretty much the exact same: right-side forward, throws the big left hand, gets you to the cage, tries to take you down. He’s the kind of guy to stand there and duke it out with you.
“There was no thinking out there. I just reacted to exactly what we worked on and it was just money every time.”
“‘I’m back in South Carolina getting mentally ready for my training camp. It’s all been awesome. I think it’s just going to get even crazier from here on out, so I gotta get used to it.”
