Only a couple of days after his dominant unanimous decision win over Vicente Luque at UFC 244, welterweight contender Stephen Thompson already has some names on his mind for his next challenge. This includes one that would be one of the most extreme cases of striker vs. grappler in recent history.
In an interview with Combate, ‘Wonderboy’ said he would like to take on either of the men who starred in UFC 244’s main event, Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal, but would also not turn down a battle against jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia, a man Thompson considers a scary opponent to face in the Octagon.
“Maia is a really tough and scary guy, no matter what you say,” Thompson said. “He’s 41, but he would kill in the blink of an eye on the ground. He would grab you by the wrists and drag you down until he strangled you. He’s a really scary guy. I’d need a long time to prepare for him, but I would love to finish anyone in this division, especially in the top 15.
“I’d love to fight Masvidal or Nate, but a fight against Demian could definitely happen in the future.”
Before his win over Luque, Thompson (15-4-1) was on a two-fight losing skid, with a unanimous decision loss to Darren Till in May 2018 and knockout defeat to former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, back in March.
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