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Despite vouching for the next shot at the UFC welterweight title, Stephen Thompson is more than happy to welcome Nate Diaz back to the UFC. Wonderboy has admitted that he would be willing to fight someone like Diaz, who he thinks is an OG of the fight game.
Stephen Thompson's last fight was a dominant win over Geoff Neal. In the final UFC main event of 2020, Thompson put on another clinical performance and proved why he still remains one of the best welterweights in the world even in his late 30s.
While speaking with MMA Fighting, Stephen Thompson stated that for his next fight he wants to cross paths with someone ranked above him or a big name who will help him get that title shot. Wonderboy added that anybody from the top five is his preference if he doesn't get a shot at Kammaru Usman.
"Well, my last 3-4 fights have been guys ranked behind me. I want to get a fight either somebody ranked above me or a big enough name that will help get me there. So, I mean, Colby, anybody in the top five I would like to fight, if me and Usman doesn't happen. It's really up to them willing to do it."
Stephen Thompson added that he would be open to fighting the likes of Colby Covington or Gilbert Burns. Wonderboy would be open to fighting Leon Edwards, as well, if his fight against Belal Muhammad falls out for some reason.
Thompson also mentioned Nate Diaz as a potential opponent and claimed that both he and Diaz are hoping to return at the same time, sometime in April or May. Wonderboy clearly is happy to welcome an OG like Diaz back into the UFC.
"You know, the NMF, Colby Covington, Burns, anybody up there, Leon Edwards, if he has another falling out, I don't know what could happen between now and then or even Nate Diaz, if he's thinking about coming in April or May. I hear that's kind of his time frame, that's kind of mine, as well. So somebody like him with a name as well, who I think is an OG man. The guy's, he is an OG, that makes sense for me."
Stephen Thompson has been on a dominant run in the welterweight division
Stephen Thompson competed on just one occasion in 2020 when he secured a dominant win over Geoff Neal. Wonderboy has been on a two-fight winning run in the UFC's welterweight division with him registering a win over Vicente Luque at UFC 244.
