Stephen Thompson will take on Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296 in December. It will be the first time Thompson has stepped into the octagon since he was victorious against Kevin Holland. The American fighter was going to fight Michel Pereira, but the fight didn’t happen due to the Brazilian missing weight. It resulted in Thompson not getting paid even though he made weight. Going into UFC 296, there is speculation around how much Thompson will get compensated. In recent interviews, Dana White and Thompson shared their thoughts on the issues.
Stephen Thompson Vs Shavkat Rakhmovov
Thompson has been a fan favourite throughout the entirety of his UFC employment. He is known for his sensational striking, and tremendous personality. Thompson is a former UFC title challenger and has had many significant fights throughout his career. He looks to return to the title picture as soon as possible with some significant triumphs. Thompson will take on the much-hyped Rakhmonov as he will try to shock the world.
Rakhmonov has taken the UFC like a cyclone, finishing most of the opponents the UFC puts in front of him. He will look to take one step closer to a title with a win over a massive name like Thompson. A victory in December could put Rakhmonov in line for a title shot.
Thompson On Pay
Many people were talking about the pay situation after the Thompson and Pereira fight didn’t happen. However, there has been a lot of talk around the idea of Thompson getting extra money for his fight at UFC 296 as some back pay. Speaking to Chris Weidman, Thompson explained his thoughts on the situation.
“I do believe that they’re going to – I think the deal is, when I fight Shavkat, they’re going to add on what they owed me for the last fight.”
Weidman replied:
“So they’re bribing you.”
Then Thompson said:
“I don’t think they’re bribing me. But it was the fact that I wanted somebody – OK, so there was the thing about Usman after that fight. Usman called me out, and I wanted that fight, but the UFC kept returning, saying, ‘No, Usman’s not going to fight you. He’s going to fight somebody else.’ So a lot is going on.”
Dana White’s Thoughts
White has never been shy about expressing his opinion on situations involving one of his fighters. Speaking at a media scrum, White talks about the pay situation.
“OK. OK. If that’s what he said, it must be true”.
All quotes via BJ Penn
it is always great to catch a glimpse of Thompson in the octagon, and it’ll be intriguing to see if he can pull off an upset.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images & Embed from Getty Images
