Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson slams Tyron Woodley for avoiding the real No. 1 contender
As Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson watched the UFC 201 main event unfold, he knew now, matter who came out victorious, that he would be facing the winner with the welterweight title on the line.
With seven consecutive wins, including a knockout over former champion Johny Hendricks and a dominant performance over Rory MacDonald just recently, Thompson knew it was just a matter of time before he finally secured his title shot.
That was until Tyron Woodley knocked out Robbie Lawler in the first round and immediately started calling for fights against Nick Diaz, who is returning from an 18-month suspension, and former champion Georges St-Pierre, who hasn't fought in nearly three years.
Thompson was baffled by Woodley's choice of opponents, especially considering the resume he's put together to earn a shot at whoever the champion was after UFC 201 was finished.
"What's going through my mind is 'what is this guy talking about?'" Thompson told FOX Sports on Monday. "I mean he just got the title and he's already talking about a money fight and trying to choose his opponents. It just doesn't make sense for him to win the title and then start asking to face guys who haven't fought in over a year or even three years.
Thompson was actually working the analyst desk for FOX on the night of the fights, so he was able to confront Woodley immediately after his win over Lawler.
Woodley quickly shot down his title fight aspirations and instead shifted his focus towards Diaz and St-Pierre while essentially ridiculing Thompson for picking Lawler to win the fight with him at UFC 201.
Since then, Woodley has continued his public outcry for a fight with St-Pierre more so than Diaz while explaining how it would be the biggest money making matchup for his career right now.
No matter how he sells it, Thompson didn't want to believe Woodley was actually ducking the challenge of the real No. 1 contender in the division, but he's having a hard time justifying the new champion's reasoning behind this matchmaking decision.
"It's starting to get that way, it's starting to get that feeling," Thompson said when asked if Woodley was running from him. "At first, I didn't think so, I thought he just wanted the big payday, the big money, but when I go back and look at the facts -- the fact is I'm on a seven-fight winning streak. He was ranked No. 4 and they gave him the title shot. I've cleaned out the division for him. It just doesn't make sense why he wouldn't face me, at least one time against the No. 1 contender without having to go out and pick these guys who haven't fought.
"I know he's not scared of any opponent. I don't think he is, but I would like to get in his head and see what he's thinking. Why does he think he can do this? It's just a fact."
Thompson's biggest issue with Woodley's sudden demand for a money fight are the circumstances surrounding his own title shot that just happened against Lawler.
Woodley sat out for 18 months on a two-fight win streak while sitting at No. 4 in the welterweight rankings while attempting to land the title bout with Lawler. Due to the time off and other fighters moving up the rankings, many questioned Woodley even getting the title shot when he did at UFC 201.
In Thompson's case, he's won seven fights in a row while also taking out a former champion in Hendricks and former title challenger in MacDonald, who just so happened to dominate Woodley when they met in 2014.
"This is my chance and he's just taking it away from me," Thompson said. "The UFC and Robbie gave him his chance even though a lot of people didn't think he deserved it. Now that he is (the champion), why can't he give the rightful guy his chance?
"For him to just get the belt and start asking for money fights? Come on, man. You need to defend the title one or two times or three times or maybe four times like Robbie before you'd ask for a really big money fight. You just get it and then asking for it? I was kind of laughing in my head like what is this guy talking about?"
As much as Woodley has been talking about a fight with St-Pierre, the UFC still hasn't weighed in on the possible matchup actually coming together. St-Pierre has said he's ready to return, but still remained far apart from the UFC in terms of a new contract being put together so all of that would need to be finalized long before a title fight with Woodley could come together.
Until he hears otherwise, Thompson is training and preparing to fight Woodley later this year with the title on the line, hopefully at UFC 205 in New York.
"Tyron's the guy I'm facing. That's what I'm prepared for mentally until the UFC says otherwise," Thompson said. "I've got a great management team, Paradigm Management, and they know what I want and they are working and supporting me to make that happen.
"Until we get anything, I'm preparing for Tyron. Madison Square Garden's where it's going to be at. That's a big fight. He's looking for money. That's going to be probably the biggest card of the year. I think we could put some butts in the seats."
As far as the fight goes, Thompson says at the heart of everything in this entire discussion, that might be what Woodley is most worried about because his title reign would end in rather short fashion if they actually clashed in the Octagon.
Thompson knows his style could be a nightmare for Woodley, and he looks forward to showcasing why when they finally meet in the cage.
"I can put him to sleep," Thompson said. "I've shown that with all my fights. I know I can put him to sleep. We face off, he's going to get the best Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson the UFC has ever seen."
