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Had the chance to chat with Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson about his Fight of the Night Battle with Tyron Woodley, the build up to his shot at the Welterweight Title, Demian Maia, a surprise from his community after the fight and a lot more. Transcripts and audio included.
2:30- Getting the key to Simpsonville, SC from his community: "I had no idea that was going on. We got back from New York, fairly late, about 10:30...I just expecting to go home, chill out. Next thing you know, police officers jump in front of us and takes us downtown...Hundreds and hundreds of people down there, just supporting me even though I didn't bring that belt home. It was cool to come back and see your community supporting you, so that definitely put a smile on my face."
3:59- If he felt in the best shape ever for the fight: "You know what, I did, I felt in great shape. I could have been a little bit heavier in the clinch position, on the ground, just kinda wasn't too powerful in those positions. I was walking around a little too light, so maybe I didn't rehydrate up to where I could have been a little bit heavier. I think I was in the cage around 178, I weighed in, which is not normal for me. I usually get back up to 185."
4:48- How 205 felt: "Yeah man, it was huge. I was walking outside, and having all the fans being there to greet you, it was bigger, man. It was definitely something very cool and positive. I was just trying to soak up the whole thing. Man, it was fun. I had a blast."
5:20- On sitting next to Conor McGregor at the presser: " *laughs* I'm in for a wild press conference, man. Every time that guy's out there, he knows how to put on a show. He had something up his sleeve...I knew it was going to be crazy, so when he showed up, I was enjoying the show."
7:00- On watching his teammate, friend and family member Chris Weidman's fight: "I felt like I was getting ready to fight, stepping out there with him. I know how dangerous Yoel Romero is. To watch him go out there and put on the performance I knew he (Weidman) could do, he was winning the fight. Controlling Yoel Romero, winning the striking exchanges, and THEN right at the last minute in the 3rd round he shoots and (Romero) throws up one of those jumping knees...It's one of those fights, you know he's winning, but you have to be on the edge the whole time...because you know what Yoel is capable of, he can come out of no where...It was devastating, man. My heart broke for Chris once I saw that. As soon as it was over it was go-time for me, so I had to step back into a realize, hey, I'm next and I gotta get ready."
8:10- The walkout at MSG: "I don't think there is any words that can describe the feeling you get as you walk out. Tenacious D ("Wonderboy") isn't the type of song that pumps you up, but it puts a smile on my face. It puts me into this feeling like, hey man, I'm just happy to be hear. As soon as you walk out, you see the whole arena, Madison Square Garden, the cage in the center, just knowing that there's thousands of people cheering for you, or millions of people across the world cheering for you to win or cheering for you to lose. It's very emotional walk, knowing that you're here getting read to fight for the title in Madison Square Garden. It was just unbelievable, man."
9:17- His corner between rounds 1 and 2: "I knew he was a strong guy, I knew he was gonna try to get me down to the ground. I didn't expect it to happen the first round, ended up catching a lazy kick of mine. I was trying to set up something later on in the round, so I threw a lazy kick to see where his front hand would go, and dadgum it if he didn't end up catching it. It was in my head, stay calm, we knew this was gonna happen. We got 4 more rounds to go."
11:36- How close was he to being finished in round 4: "You know what, at first it was very, very tight (the choke), but it was one of things, you know what, I'm not gonna tap, but I'm gonna end up going out. That was the plan. As soon as I said that, I feel his arms start to gas, it started to loosen up, and that was my chance to get out. I think being in that position , most people would have tapped. Go back and watch the video, that bicep was just tied up around my neck. He was trying to pop my head off. And to be honest, my neck is sore from the top of my head all the way down to my butt just from him yanking on that. It was tight, bro, it was very tight."
13:10 What he thought immediately after the fight: "I knew that he won the first and obviously the fourth...didn't know it was a 10-8. I knew I won the second, third, and fifth round. I felt like I beat him in those rounds, but I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. It could have gone both ways, I felt I did enough to win those 3 rounds, but obviously they gave him a 10-8, I think it was the 4th round?...One of those things you never know what can happen in the UFC, what the judges were looking at. I don't know if they were new judges in there, in Madison Square Garden, or what, but it is what it is. When they first announced it to him, I'm like, Ok, I could've seen that, but then they came back and I was looking at Dana White, he's like, "No, dude, stay up here, it's a draw, it's definitely a draw." I'm like what? It's better than a loss, you know? And we can definitely do it again, and that's what was going through my head as soon as soon as they said that. This is going to happen again. My next fight is going to be Tyron Woodley."
15:13- Biggest takeaway from 205: "When you think about giving up, don't do it, man. If I would've given up in the first or the fourth, we wouldn't be talking about this right now, or a rematch, and talking about one of the best fights of 2016. It's definitely up there for...fight of the year possibly. Never give up man, when it gets tough, you just gotta grit it out. That's something I've learned through the martial arts my whole life. Left it all out in the octagon, no matter what you're doing, give it your best."
16:27- Message to Demian Maia: " I would just say, man, I'm sorry. He will get his shot, definitely. We just gotta break this, there can be no ties in the UFC, I think. We're gonna fight and see who gets that title shot. Once that happen, he will get his. Just be patient."
17:33- On the potential to fight McGregor down the road: "Well you know, anything is possible. I can see myself fighting him. He's one of the best fighters in the UFC, obviously...I think we'd definitely put on a show."
2:30- Getting the key to Simpsonville, SC from his community: "I had no idea that was going on. We got back from New York, fairly late, about 10:30...I just expecting to go home, chill out. Next thing you know, police officers jump in front of us and takes us downtown...Hundreds and hundreds of people down there, just supporting me even though I didn't bring that belt home. It was cool to come back and see your community supporting you, so that definitely put a smile on my face."
3:59- If he felt in the best shape ever for the fight: "You know what, I did, I felt in great shape. I could have been a little bit heavier in the clinch position, on the ground, just kinda wasn't too powerful in those positions. I was walking around a little too light, so maybe I didn't rehydrate up to where I could have been a little bit heavier. I think I was in the cage around 178, I weighed in, which is not normal for me. I usually get back up to 185."
4:48- How 205 felt: "Yeah man, it was huge. I was walking outside, and having all the fans being there to greet you, it was bigger, man. It was definitely something very cool and positive. I was just trying to soak up the whole thing. Man, it was fun. I had a blast."
5:20- On sitting next to Conor McGregor at the presser: " *laughs* I'm in for a wild press conference, man. Every time that guy's out there, he knows how to put on a show. He had something up his sleeve...I knew it was going to be crazy, so when he showed up, I was enjoying the show."
7:00- On watching his teammate, friend and family member Chris Weidman's fight: "I felt like I was getting ready to fight, stepping out there with him. I know how dangerous Yoel Romero is. To watch him go out there and put on the performance I knew he (Weidman) could do, he was winning the fight. Controlling Yoel Romero, winning the striking exchanges, and THEN right at the last minute in the 3rd round he shoots and (Romero) throws up one of those jumping knees...It's one of those fights, you know he's winning, but you have to be on the edge the whole time...because you know what Yoel is capable of, he can come out of no where...It was devastating, man. My heart broke for Chris once I saw that. As soon as it was over it was go-time for me, so I had to step back into a realize, hey, I'm next and I gotta get ready."
8:10- The walkout at MSG: "I don't think there is any words that can describe the feeling you get as you walk out. Tenacious D ("Wonderboy") isn't the type of song that pumps you up, but it puts a smile on my face. It puts me into this feeling like, hey man, I'm just happy to be hear. As soon as you walk out, you see the whole arena, Madison Square Garden, the cage in the center, just knowing that there's thousands of people cheering for you, or millions of people across the world cheering for you to win or cheering for you to lose. It's very emotional walk, knowing that you're here getting read to fight for the title in Madison Square Garden. It was just unbelievable, man."
9:17- His corner between rounds 1 and 2: "I knew he was a strong guy, I knew he was gonna try to get me down to the ground. I didn't expect it to happen the first round, ended up catching a lazy kick of mine. I was trying to set up something later on in the round, so I threw a lazy kick to see where his front hand would go, and dadgum it if he didn't end up catching it. It was in my head, stay calm, we knew this was gonna happen. We got 4 more rounds to go."
11:36- How close was he to being finished in round 4: "You know what, at first it was very, very tight (the choke), but it was one of things, you know what, I'm not gonna tap, but I'm gonna end up going out. That was the plan. As soon as I said that, I feel his arms start to gas, it started to loosen up, and that was my chance to get out. I think being in that position , most people would have tapped. Go back and watch the video, that bicep was just tied up around my neck. He was trying to pop my head off. And to be honest, my neck is sore from the top of my head all the way down to my butt just from him yanking on that. It was tight, bro, it was very tight."
13:10 What he thought immediately after the fight: "I knew that he won the first and obviously the fourth...didn't know it was a 10-8. I knew I won the second, third, and fifth round. I felt like I beat him in those rounds, but I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. It could have gone both ways, I felt I did enough to win those 3 rounds, but obviously they gave him a 10-8, I think it was the 4th round?...One of those things you never know what can happen in the UFC, what the judges were looking at. I don't know if they were new judges in there, in Madison Square Garden, or what, but it is what it is. When they first announced it to him, I'm like, Ok, I could've seen that, but then they came back and I was looking at Dana White, he's like, "No, dude, stay up here, it's a draw, it's definitely a draw." I'm like what? It's better than a loss, you know? And we can definitely do it again, and that's what was going through my head as soon as soon as they said that. This is going to happen again. My next fight is going to be Tyron Woodley."
15:13- Biggest takeaway from 205: "When you think about giving up, don't do it, man. If I would've given up in the first or the fourth, we wouldn't be talking about this right now, or a rematch, and talking about one of the best fights of 2016. It's definitely up there for...fight of the year possibly. Never give up man, when it gets tough, you just gotta grit it out. That's something I've learned through the martial arts my whole life. Left it all out in the octagon, no matter what you're doing, give it your best."
16:27- Message to Demian Maia: " I would just say, man, I'm sorry. He will get his shot, definitely. We just gotta break this, there can be no ties in the UFC, I think. We're gonna fight and see who gets that title shot. Once that happen, he will get his. Just be patient."
17:33- On the potential to fight McGregor down the road: "Well you know, anything is possible. I can see myself fighting him. He's one of the best fighters in the UFC, obviously...I think we'd definitely put on a show."
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