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Stephen Thompson is scheduled to face off against Gilbert Burns in the co-main event of UFC 264.
Ahead of the bout, Thompson has spoken out about his experience cornering Chris Weidman at UFC 261, when the 'All American' suffered a horrendous leg break against Uriah Hall.
Speaking with BT Sport's Adam Catterall, Thompson revealed that not only was he in the corner of Weidman during the fight, but was also with him in the ambulance, witnessing first hand how distraught Weidman was, both at the injury and the loss. Thompson stated the following:
'It's unbelievable how, seeing him the night of the fight, I was in his corner, in the ambulance with him," said Stephen Thompson. "I saw his leg, how devastated he was. I was, the whole family was, the whole camp.... What are the chances of that happening? Got to be one in a billion. That's only happened three times in the UFC and he's been a part of two of them."
Stephen Thompson inspired by Weidman's perseverance
Stephen Thompson's brother, Tony Thompson, is married to Chris Weidman's sister, making the two fighters brothers-in-law. They have since struck up a close friendship and often train with one another.
Weidman is now well on his way to recovery, having rebounded from the injury in incredible fashion. He is now in the early stages of being able to walk again, which is considerably earlier than was initially predicted.
Thompson stated that he has used Weidman's ironclad resilience and mentality to inspire him during the course of his UFC 264 fight camp. He said:
"So to see him now, it gives me inspiration. It gives me inspiration, he may not know it but going into this camp he's inspired me one hundred percent."
UFC 264: Stephen Thompson vs. GIlbert Burns
Stephen Thompson will need all the inspiration he can get when facing off against Gilbert Burns. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is a huge threat in nearly every facet of MMA, particularly should the fight hit the mat.
However, Thompson is confident in his own ability to keep the fight on the feet where he can dominate with his striking.
"Everybody asks me 'You are fighting one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the game. Does that scare you?' Listen, I will never be as good as Gilbert Burns on the ground. I just won't. But every fight starts standing up and I'm confident in my takedown defense." Stephen Thompson said.
