Kamaru Usman’s dominance in the welterweight division has been staggering over the past couple of years, which has left him short of contenders willing to come forward. He has either beaten the best of the division, or those that he hasn’t beaten haven’t looked towards making the fight happen.
However, one star that is certainly not shying away from demanding a title opportunity against the dominant Usman is fifth-ranked fighter Stephen Thompson, who has begged that the reigning champion look to face someone new when speaking on What The Heck.
UFC News: Thompson Calls Out Champion
Thompson admitted during the interview that he was hooked by the fight between Usman and Gilbert Burns recently, but was left asking questions about what the champions gameplan was in the octagon. However, he was hugely positive of the champions performance, but admitted that the fight would have gone differently if it was him in the ring against the head of the welterweight division.
It’s only right that Thompson would be full of confidence at present, as he himself is coming off the back off an excellent recent performance. It was a dominant performance by Thompson at the recent UFC Vegas 19 event, as he beat Geoff Neal by unanimous decision. However, his performance back in December was more comfortable than many would have believed, and he was dually awarded the Performance of the Night award.
UFC News: Call For Champion To Face Someone New
Immediately after Usman’s recent win, he immediately called out Jorge Masvidal. There would certainly be interest in seeing the two stars fight again, but Thompson claimed that it would be a fight that made financial sense for both. However, he revealed that it would make for more interesting viewing for fans should he take on someone new that he hasn’t faced in the octagon before.
Thompson would be one possible opponent for the reigning champion, while Michael Chiesa could also be another viable opponent. Both stars are the only two fighters in the top six of the rankings that the reigning champion hasn’t faced yet. Chiesa will also be echoing them beliefs, as he is currently riding high after returning to the octagon a month ago for the first time in a year. He returned with a dominant decision win against Neil Magny at Fight Island.
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