Stephen Thompson originally wanted to fight Leon Edwards when the latter had no fight booked. The British fighter, however, chose Khamzat Chimaev because he felt that outside of a title shot and Jorge Masvidal, the Swedish sensation was the biggest name he could face to get him ahead.
Stephen Thompson doesn’t share the same sentiment. Speaking to theScore, the former Welterweight title challenger stated that he was clueless when the rumors first broke out about him potentially fighting Khamzat Chimaev: Thompson said,
Stephen Thompson, usually considered one of the nicest fighters in MMA, uncharacteristically went off on Khamzat Chimaev, stating that he had no right to get a top-ranked opponent:
Is Stephen Thompson right about Khamzat Chimaev?
Stephen Thompson has a valid point about Khamzat Chimaev, but ultimately, there were two factors that played against what he said. Firstly, Leon Edwards said that he wanted to fight Khamzat Chimaev. Secondly, and most importantly, UFC is keen on giving the Swedish fighter a massive promotional push.
While it’s clear that Khamzat Chimaev is a standout talent in UFC, it’s hard not to empathize with higher-ranked fighters who have to take more fights to reach a higher level.
Leon Edwards is on a five-year, eight-fight winning streak and still hasn’t gotten a title shot. Stephen Thompson, on the other hand, will have to get a minimum of two wins before getting another title shot, and even then, it isn’t guaranteed.
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