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Stephen Thompson believes Jorge Masvidal paid the price for underestimating Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC 261. 'Wonderboy' said if he were to challenge 'The Nigerian Nightmare', he wouldn't take his striking skills for granted.
Usman defeated Masvidal with a thunderous knockout at UFC 261. Both men were competing in a rematch, having fought each other at UFC 251 in July 2020.
Speaking to James Lynch, Stephen Thompson weighed in on what he would do differently to possibly eke out a win opposite Usman:
"Do I think he (Kamaru Usman) is going to stand there and strike with me? I don't know. He did that with (Jorge) Masvidal and everybody says Masvidal is a better striker. But I'm not the type of guy to take this guy lightly and I think that was Masvidal's mistake. Taking him lightly, thinking this guy doesn't have any power, next thing you know you're getting put to sleep. I don't take anybody lightly, wherever they are in the division. Him being the champion, I'm going to take this fight with the best of my ability," said Thompson.
Watch the interview below:
Thompson is scheduled to fight Gilbert Burns at UFC 264, which will take place on July 10, 2021. A win over Burns is likely to throw Wonderboy into the title picture of the welterweight division.
Stephen Thompson thinks Kamaru Usman will find it hard to prepare for a fight against him
In the same interview, Stephen Thompson also added that he believes Kamaru Usman will have a hard time preparing for a fight against him. According to Thompson, his unique fighting style and crisp striking technique give him an edge over Usman.
However, Stephen Thompson understands he'll have to beat Gilbert Burns to lock horns with the UFC welterweight champion in the future.
"I think it's a great matchup for me to be honest with you. I think it's very difficult for him to find somebody like me, to prepare for me. So he's the one that's got to work extra hard to prepare. It's looking good for sure. I got to out there and beat (Gilbert) Burns first," said Thompson.
