Stephen Thompson Makes His First Callout Via Twitter

We have yet to see Stephen Thompson compete in 2020, which could be why “Wonderboy” has changed things up, and used Twitter to call someone out. Who is that “someone”?

Surging welterweight contender, Leon Edwards.

Thompson respectfully calls out Edwards

The last time Thompson fought was in November, 2019, when he bested Vicente Luque for the decision win. The victory returned the highlight reel striker to the win column, as last March, Thompson was KO’d by Anthony Pettis.

Since Thompson broke both of his hands in his bout with Luque, he was sidelined for several months earlier this year. But, clearly the 37-year-old is eager to get back in the Octagon, as recently he tweeted out this.

All due respect @Leon_edwardsmma, which I have a lot of for you, I have been saying I would like to fight you for a while now! It makes sense and would be a great match up.

I think that was my first Twitter call out ever. man that felt weird. Rolling on the floor laughingFace with tears of joy #FirstTimeForEverything

Will Thompson get his wish?

So, on paper, there’s a lot to like about this match-up. Thompson is always must-see viewing and Edwards has established himself as one of the top welterweights out there in recent years, thanks to an eight-fight winning streak.

But, will Edwards be on board?

Right now, Thompson is ranked #5 in the division and Edwards is #3. So, you could certainly argue Edwards has a lot more to lose than to gain, by fighting Thompson.

On the other hand, Edwards hasn’t fought since last summer now, when he beat Rafael dos Anjos. So, chances are the UFC would like to see him fight sooner than later.

The British fighter was booked to fight Tyron Woodley in March, but the fight fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Edwards has repeatedly called for a fight with Jorge Masvidal, but it sounds like the UFCs looking at having “Gamebred” fight Nate Diaz again. Masvidal has never sounded too interested in fighting Edwards in the cage for that matter either.

Colby Covington is also ahead of Edwards, as he’s now ranked #1. But it seems highly unlikely that he’d agree to face someone has tough as Edwards, and risk losing a title shot.

Further, while hardcore fans realize how talented Edwards is, he’s not a mainstream name here in North America. So, the likes of Masvidal or Covington have even less to gain by agreeing to fight “Rocky”.