Back in November, dangerous karate specialist Stephen Thompson challenged Tyron Woodley for the UFC welterweight title. Though “Wonderboy” put forth a valiant effort, he ultimately failed to claim the divisional crown, instead battling Woodley to a competitive majority draw.
This weekend, in the main event of the stacked UFC 209, Thompson will get another crack at Woodley’s title. In advance of this anticipated rematch, fans are divided in their predictions. There are those that are predicting a decisive win for Woodley, there are those who expect a blowout for Thompson, and there are others still who are expecting another competitive battle. Yet if you ask Canadian MMA legend Georges St-Pierre, who ruled the welterweight division for many years, Thompson will probably walk away with gold this weekend.
In a recent promotional video released by the UFC, St-Pierre discusses Thompson’s role as a long-time training partner, and applauds his venomous striking skill.
“Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson is a good friend of mine and also one of my best training partners,” St-Pierre says in the video. “He has the tools to become champion. It’s only a matter of time for him and he’s getting better every day.”
“I called him before a ‘secret weapon,’ but now he’s not a secret weapon anymore,” St-Pierre said of Thompson’s rise into the MMA limelight. “Wonderboy is the best striker I’ve seen in my life.”
Prior to his November draw with Woodley, Thompson was riding high on a seven-fight streak, including dominant wins over game opposition in Robert Whittaker, Patrick Cote, Jake Ellenberger, Johny Hendricks and Rory MacDonald. Woodley, meanwhile, entered his first battle with Thompson fresh off a title-winning knockout of Robbie Lawler.
What do you think of Georges St-Pierre’s assessment of Stephen Thompson? Make your voice heard in the comments section, PENN Nation!
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/28/2017.
