Stephen Thompson’s latest comments have taken Darren Till by surprise.
Till and Thompson are set to meet inside the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. The welterweight scrap will headline UFC Liverpool on May 27. It’ll be Till’s second headlining spot and Thompson’s fifth.
“The Gorilla” saw a nice boost in recognition thanks to a first-round TKO victory over Donald Cerrone. The win was so dominant that he was given a bout with two-time title challenger Thompson. “Wonderboy” has only lost to Tyron Woodley and Matt Brown.
Thompson caused quite a stir with his latest comments on Till’s abilities inside the Octagon. The number one ranked welterweight said he’s fought better strikers than his upcoming opponent. Till is well aware of the assessment.
Response
MMAFighting.com reached out to Till for a response and here’s what he had to say:
“I did see it. I really didn’t think it was Stephen Thompson when I was listening to him. He usually comes across as a good, respectful guy when he’s talking about his opponents. Why is he talking like that about me? Is he upset that he had to take the fight against me? You know, I’m a nobody as far as some people are concerned, but I really didn’t think that was the real Stephen Thompson.”
If Till is able to defeat Thompson, it may very well earn him a title shot. If Thompson wins, things could get iffy. Woodley is expected to face the winner of Rafael dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington. If Woodley ultimately retains his gold, then a third bout with Thompson is unlikely to happen soon.
Thompson has never been finished in a professional mixed martial arts bout. Till has yet to be defeated. “The Gorilla” has 10 knockouts and two submissions, while “Wonderboy” has seven knockouts and one submission. Thompson’s point-style karate has been known to frustrate his opponents and it’ll be interesting to see if Till has an answer for it.
UFC Liverpool will also feature another intriguing welterweight clash. Neil Magny will meet Gunnar Nelson in a bout where both men are looking to better position themselves in the 170-pound rankings. Stick with MMANews.com for coverage of this event and others.
Do you believe Stephen Thompson has fought better strikers than Darren Till?
