“Never faced a guy like me,” Stephen Thompson confident to derail welterweight phenom Shavkat Rakhmonov’s undefeated streak

Stephen Thompson has little to no doubt at all on overcoming welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov in their next bout. He remains a betting underdog for his next fight.

“Never faced a guy like me,” Stephen Thompson confident to derail welterweight phenom Shavkat Rakhmonov’s undefeated streak

Stephen Thompson confident on defeating Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296 (Source: IMAGO)

Stephen Thompson will lock horns with undefeated welterweight sensation Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296. The matchup takes place in the undercard of Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington. Thompson had also conversely aimed at a fight with welterweight champion Edwards next.

“Wonderboy”  faces Shavkat Rakhmonov against big odds. The latter stands at an undefeated 17-0 pro-MMA record. The 17-6-1 kickboxer Thompson is not one to falter. During an interview with UFC.com, Thompson talked about his confidence leading up to fight Shavkat. This is what he said:

Shavkat has never faced a guy like me. I beat him, I could be fighting for the title next. Come December 16th, see "Wonderboy" Thompson have his hands raised.
Stephen Thompson via UFC.com
YouTube video

Thomson recently divulged that he knew very little of the opposition but lauded him overall. But conversely, he was more confident of his chances. With a victory over the phenom Rakhmonov, Thompson believed he could aim for the welterweight title shot next. He recently mentioned gunning for Edwards in an interview with Submission Radio.

FS Video

UFC 296 is to take place at the T-Mobile Arena On Saturday, Dec. 16. Thompson remains sure of undoing the opposition’s undefeated streak and chasing Edwards next, who fights against a returning Covington. Only time will tell if Wonderboy manages to defeat the formidable Rakhmonov.

Stephen Thompson divulges title aspirations after facing Shavkat Rakhmonov

Stephen Thompson faces rising welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296. In a recent interview, Thompson mentioned being ready for whatever challenges came next. Moreover, he has nudged in his aspirations to face reigning welterweight champion Leon “Rocky” Edwards or whoever reigns as the champion.

Stephen Thompson wants Leon Edwards next, after latter's title fight with Colby Covington
Stephen Thompson wants Leon Edwards next (Source: Twitter)

Edwards, who stands at 21-3 MMA and 13-2 UFC, has faced consecutive callouts from Wonderboy. On two different occasions, Thompson revealed his excitement about fighting Edwards. Both come from a kickboxing background, and the fight will likely not feature any grappling. Wonderboy has faced difficulty against grapplers in recent times. Hence, he mentioned Edwards being an inspiration as the British fighter overcame grapplers to capture the UFC gold.

Edwards had recently wished upon a move to the 185lbs division and Thomson was critical of the choice. He believed that Edwards should at least clear out more contending bouts before a shift up. Only time will tell if Edwards and Thompson will ever fight against one another.

In case you missed it: