Salt Lake City, UT – UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson wasn’t really aware that his 20th UFC fight would come at UFC 291 against Michel Pereira on Saturday night until a member of the media let him know.
“Like what? This is UFC fight 20 for me? Shut your butt,” “Wonderboy” Thompson told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
The fact took him down memory lane back to UFC 143 in 2012 when he made his debut on a card headlined by Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit in Las Vegas.
“I came in the game fairly late in my years right? When it comes to MMA. I was like 28 or 29, but UFC 143 man. I remember that one very well because Georges St. Pierre was actually in my corner, and M.C. Hammer actually walked me out to the arena which was nuts,” he said.
“But man 20 fights. That’s wild. 40-years-old baby!”
At UFC 291 he faces Pereira who stylistically makes for a fun matchup between two guys who enjoy striking more than anything else.
“Michel Pereira, you’ve seen the guy fight, he cuts flips. He runs across the cage. I think he’s going to be smarter for this one. Higher altitude, he’s been known to fatigue, so I think he’s worked on that. He’s come out here a little early, acclimated to the altitude, I still think he’s going to do something crazy,” Thompson said.
“Just to try to throw me off. I would expect him to try to get me up against the cage and try to control me there as well. So wherever the fight goes I will be ready for it.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Stephen Thompson above. He takes on Michel Pereira at UFC 291 on Saturday night.
