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Stephen Thompson and Jorge Masvidal have crossed paths before. What happened when two of the UFC's top welterweights met in the middle of the Octagon?
Stephen Thompson closed out 2020 with a bang, putting on a striking clinic to defeat Geoff Neal by unanimous decision after 5 rounds in the main event of UFC Vegas 17, Saturday evening at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Following his brutal war with Neal, 'Wonderboy' knew who exactly he wanted to face next, calling out a familiar opponent in Jorge Masvidal:
"I want to see the NMF vs. the BMF, baby! Let's make that happen! Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson vs. Jorge Masvidal 2!"
By 'The NMF vs. the BMF', Thompson means 'the Nicest Motherf**ker versus the Baddest Motherf**ker'. Jorge Masivdal, of course, is the reigning UFC BMF champion, while Stephen Thompson is the self-proclaimed NMF in the promotion.
If the Stephen Thompson-Jorge Masvidal fight does get booked, it will be a rematch, as the two have faced each other before.
Revisiting Stephen Thompson vs. Jorge Masvidal part 1
Back in 2017, Stephen Thompson was coming off back-to-back failed bids for the UFC welterweight championship, then in the possession of Tyron Woodley.
Thompson's first assignment on his road back up to the welterweight division's summit was against Jorge Masvidal. At the time, Masvidal was also looking to get back at the top of the 170-pound ranks as he was coming off a title eliminator loss to Demian Maia.
Thompson and Masvidal squared off at UFC 217 in an entertaining back-and-forth striking battle:
Stephen Thompson's elite striking was on display again, as he continuously attacked Jorge Masvidal with strong kicks and accurate punches. Masvidal hung tough and put together combinations of his own. In the second round, Thompson dropped Masvidal with a well-placed right hook, but allowed him to stand back up. Thompson remained a step ahead of the striking throughout the bout to score a unanimous decision win.
Since then, Stephen Thompson has gone 2-2 in his last four and is currently the number 6-ranked contender in the welterweight division.
Jorge Masvidal, meanwhile, took some time off and then returned with a career resurgence, defeating Darren Till, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz to earn a shot at the UFC welterweight championship. He would come up short against titleholder Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision.
How would Stephen Thompson vs. Jorge Masvidal part 2 play out?
