UFC 264: Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson says the ‘NMFs’ are going to wage war
- American faces off against Brazil’s Gilbert Burns with a possible welterweight title shot on the horizon
- ‘This is going to be a balls-to-the-wall fight. This guy’s coming for blood,’ says Thompson
The warning from Stephen Thompson is not to be fooled by the fact that two of the nicest guys around will be facing off when he meets Gilbert Burns at UFC 264 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
History has shown us that even nice guys sometimes must go to war.
“We don’t know if Gilbert Burns is going to come out shooting for my legs or if he’s going to try and set it up but I know this is going to be a balls-to-the-wall fight,” Thompson told SCMP MMA. “This guy’s coming for blood. He’s another ‘NMF’. That’s the thing, he’s a nice guy. But we’re gonna do battle and there’s gonna be fireworks, so don’t miss it.”
The 38-year-old American (16-4-1) is acutely aware of what’s on the line inside the T-Mobile Arena, as he faces off with the No 2-ranked Brazilian. Burns (19-4) has already had one crack at Kamaru Usman’s welterweight title – and is now desperate for redemption after copping a TKO from the champ at the start of the third round at UFC 258 in February.
It was a loss that turned Thompson’s career around, and set the veteran on a run that now has a possible title shot just one win away. Thompson was knocked out by American Anthony Pettis (24-12) in 2019, the first time he had ended a fight on his back in a combat sport career that dates back to his teens. From that moment, Thompson now sees, every single thing changed.