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Despite Stephen Thompson having a tough UFC Orlando fight against Kevin Holland coming up this weekend, 'Wonderboy' already has plans for his next move should he beat Holland. Thompson is keen to face Nick Diaz should he get his hand raised this weekend.
Both fighters are currently on a losing streak in the UFC, however, Diaz hasn't won in the organization since 2011. 'Wonderboy' has lost his last two fights against Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad.
Nick Diaz refused to continue fighting against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266: Volkanovski vs. Ortega in his most recent outing. So, he is hardly coming into this potential bout with high morale, especially if Thompson manages to beat Kevin Holland this weekend.
Watch Nick Diaz's latest UFC outing here:
Stephen Thompson has also been much more active than Nick Diaz. 'Wonderboy' fought twice in 2021, and has a scheduled bout this weekend for the first time this year.
Diaz's most recent bout against Robbie Lawler also came in 2021, but he returned to the octagon after six years away from the UFC. As mentioned, the Stockton-born fighter's latest octagon appearance was hardly successful. It would be very hard to see an active Thompson losing against this current version of Nick Diaz.
Watch Thompson's most recent UFC outing here:
Stephen Thompson vs. Kevin Holland: Height, reach, and UFC record comparison
As mentioned, Stephen Thompson has a difficult bout this weekend to overcome before even considering a bout against Nick Diaz. 'Wonderboy' will have to adjust to some natural size disadvantages in Orlando, with Kevin Holland being taller and having a long reach.
Holland stands 191cm tall and has a reach of 206cm, which is considerably larger than his opponent. Thompson is 183cm tall and has a reach of 191cm, which could prove costly given the bout will likely be a striking contest for large portions of the fight.
However, the two fighters have a very similar record in the UFC. Stephen Thompson has recorded 11 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw since joining the organization, and Kevin Holland has a record of 10 wins, 5 losses, and 1 no-contest.
Holland sustained nearly no damage in his most recent outing, with Khamzat Chimaev quickly finishing the bout in the very first round at UFC 279: Diaz vs. Ferguson. Thompson hasn't fought since 2021 but needs a big result to avoid making it three fights in a row without a win.
