Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson 2 set for UFC 209 in Las Vegas
Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will meet Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson in a rematch at UFC 209 in Las Vegas on March 4.
The word comes directly from Woodley, who broke the news on his podcast "The Morning Wood" in a short post on Monday after an altercation with "Wonderboy" on Twitter over the weekend. Sources also confirmed to FOX Sports that the welterweight title bout is expected to headline UFC 209.
"He got under my skin so much that I'm just going to go ahead and fight this dude," Woodley said. "Like straight up. He got under my skin that bad where I don't even care about the ration and the money and what fight makes the most sense. You need to be careful what you ask for. "Wonderboy" you want it — come get it. You want a fight, you want to get done worse than you did the first time?
"He's going to get in the Octagon and he's going to be in for a rude awakening because if he thought that was something the last time, I'm going all the way up."
The confrontation started after Thompson posted a copy of his bout agreement on Twitter with his signature while taunting the champion to sign the deal so they could meet for a second time.
Thompson told FOX Sports on Monday that he received the bout agreement prior to Christmas, but was still waiting on Woodley to sign the deal.
"I just signed the contract that was put in front of me. I didn't ask for it, I didn't beg for it. We signed it and sent it right back," Thompson told FOX Sports. "We didn't negotiate more money or anything. Signed it and sent it back.
"He's got the bout agreement and he's probably looking at it right now. UFC wants this fight to happen. We just have unfinished business. As a champion for me, if it was the other way around and I was in Tyron's shoes, I just couldn't feel right moving on from that last fight. It was a draw. I didn't win and there's a lot of fans that would see this as unfinished business and I just can't leave it that way. That's not who I am. As a champion, he should be taking this fight because we have not yet determined the winner of it."
The first bout between Woodley and Thompson at UFC 205 in New York ended in a five-round draw while earning 'Fight of the Night' honors on the historic card at Madison Square Garden. Afterwards, UFC president Dana White said that a rematch was in order following the draw.
It appears the message was received because Woodley says he's now decided to accept the fight and will meet Thompson in a rematch at UFC 209 in Las Vegas on March 4.
"March 4, UFC 209 in Las Vegas, Nevada, what I believe to be the T-Mobile Center, you will see "Wonderboy" get the worst ass whooping of his life," Woodley said. "Hopefully all his fans and all his over entitlement will cease at that moment and we can do a eulogy for it."
For his part, Thompson promises a much different outcome the second time around because he says he was not at his best when facing Woodley in the first fight.
"I know for a fact I wasn't at my best. He was at his best. He hit me with two big shots that put dudes to sleep and he couldn't do it with me. He tried to finish me with the guillotine and couldn't do it. In the fifth round, I felt great. I felt like I could have gone another three rounds but I wasn't at my best. I didn't let my hands go the way I should have.
"So that gives me all the confidence in the world. I've got him figured out. I felt him, I know what he's like out there. All I can do is train hard and let it all out on March 4."
