Stephen Thompson Pitches Opponents For Fellow Karate-Style Striker Michael 'Venom' Page Amid Talk Of Potential UFC Signing

Zona MMA février 12, 2022

Stephen Thompson Pitches Opponents For Fellow Karate-Style Striker Michael 'Venom' Page Amid Talk Of Potential UFC Signing

MMA News
juillet 27, 2023
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UFC welterweight veteran Stephen Thompson has established himself as one of the most entertaining strikers not only in his division, but competing on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage as a whole.

This weekend, fans will be treated to more of Thompson’s standup skills as he goes toe-to-toe with the unique offense of the #15-ranked Michel Pereira. The pair are set to share the cage on the UFC 291 main card this coming Saturday.

But beyond the July 29 event, there’s a chance that striking enthusiasts won’t have to wait solely for “Wonderboy” to appear in the Octagon in order to witness his karate-based fighting style.

Recently, talk has emerged surrounding the possibility of longtime Bellator star Michael “Venom” Page crossing the border to join Thompson.

Earlier this month, the British fighter revealed that he’s entered a period of free agency, and after appearing on the UFC website and attending the London-held UFC Fight Night, discourse about MVP’s future remains a hot topic.

Should Page ply his trade in the Octagon next, some have called for “Wonderboy” to be the one to welcome the Londoner to the organization. While he recently dismissed that owing to the pair’s friendship, Thompson does have some possible barnburners for “Venom” in mind…

Thompson Shuts Down Fans’ Calls For Page Matchup, Suggests Different Opponents

During his appearance at UFC 291 media day on Wednesday, Thompson reacted to talk of Page joining his division down the line, and acknowledged the widely held view that he’d put on a thriller on the feet with the 36-year-old.

“I just became friends with this guy, literally like a few months ago. We hung out for like, a whole weekend. It’s like, ‘Dude, why do they want me to fight you now?’ It’s understandable, karate vs. karate, right?” Thompson said. “It would be a fun match. But he’s a good dude, man. I don’t wanna say I would wanna fight him at this point because we’ve grown that relationship now.”

Although he poured cold water on the suggestion that he should share the cage with MVP, Thompson did pitch some matchups that would no doubt soften that blow for UFC fans.

“If he gets in the UFC, hats off to the guy man, that’s awesome,” Thompson stated. “You have some guys. You know, Ian Garry would be a great one. I think that would be a good matchup. I know he’s facing off against Geoff Neal, which I think would be a good test as well.

“There are some other strikers as well. Shavkat (Rakhmonov) I think would be a good one too,” Thompson continued. “‘Venom’ Page brings not just the karate to the welterweight division, but his length. He’s a very tall and very lengthy guy. For a guy like him to have that karate base is very dangerous.”

As “Wonderboy” alluded to, Garry and Neal currently have a date in the cage lined up, with the pair of ranked welterweights slated to collide on the UFC 292 pay-per-view card in Boston next month.

Rakhmonov is also currently booked, with the undefeated rising Kazakh fighter scheduled to welcome Kelvin Gastelum back to 170 pounds at the UFC’s Mexican Independence Day event on September 16.

Whichever way results fall, perhaps one of those four men will be the one standing across from Page in the Octagon should the UFC pursue the Brit’s services in the coming weeks.