Stephen Thompson Turned Down Shavkat Rakhmonov Fight First Time | The MMA Hour 

I love that he's letting his dad tell him when he's done. That's really honorable

Respect to Wonderboy for agreeing to fight Shavkat. I think this is the perfect position to be in because no one at all expects him to come out with a win, but IF he does, he immediately moves up everyone's list and potentially gets put into title contention.

Need more people in the world like this guy. Hell of a good dude

Guys like Stephen are so good for the sport. He is always friendly and never talks trash. always respectful and always in a good mood. I think the interviewer had a little nasty edge trying but Stephen stayed the perfect interviewed. This is perfect for the sport instead of the trash takers.

Styles make fights. Can shavkhat overcome the distance striking? Can wonderboy stay on the feet long enough to score points? It's not an impossible feat for wonderboy if you think about it

Shavkat is a very dangerous fight for anyone... If Wonderboy wins this he should be next for the title shot.

I think people forget that Shavkat gets hit a lot and Wonderboy is a striking master. I think this fight will be closer than people think.

I love watching Stephen fight! Always a class act! I’ll be so pumped if he wins this fight!

Wonderboy and his family are FIRST CLASS human beings. God bless them.

Always a pleasure to listen to Wonderboy he's really one of nicest guys in MMA, and a beast at the same time, respect !

How the hell is the UFC holding back pay for the Wonderboy??? This guy is one of my favorite fighters and represents the sport so well. Honestly, for me he is the closet fighter to a real life Superman in the UFC. Much respect Wonderboy, you are awesome and at 40 you look every bit 30!

This man is one of a kind

Good vibes only Stephen...... Hand dude his first loss my guy......... You are the model for the youth as an athlete and sportsman. One x

@ 7:39 Stephen Thompson makes a great point that undefeated fighters are not fighting each other but rather making a name off of beating Legends on their way out. Shavkat Rachmaninoff vs. khamzat chimaev should have been fight of the year and given to the fans for our dedication. Dana White always says anybody can be made in the UFC. Which is the problem with boxing because it's very difficult to get the fights that fans truly deserve and ask for.

Love him or Love Him (you know what I did there), Wonderboy is always a pleasure to listen to, has been a gentleman throughout his entire career and hope we see him get another crack at the title. I so badly wish this man retire with some gold around his waist and go up in the hall of fame as legend that he already is.... but being a realist we know guys (and girls) that the elites incl. his next opponent Shavkat won't make it easy for him.

Love Wonderboy! Hope everything falls into place for him to make this last run for the belt a memorable one. Looking forward to this fight with the Nomad! Going to be an incredible sticking match!!

Ill be super happy if wonderboy wins, gets a title shot and retires as champion. He is such a positive, good vibes, kindhearted person. Love to see good people receive the goals in life they deserve.

I'm so excited for this fight specifically! Lots of potential there! And this card overall is A+

hard to ever bet against Shavkat. He is a cyborg. But if he keeps it standing, I dont think anyone has gotten the best of Stephen.

I really like Wonderboy. Humble, never gripes and a great fighter. I agree about BJ Penn hanging in there too long. Anderson Silva was another one.

After seeing this interview and Dana last press conference the ufc is definitely going for usman vs bellal

Boxing must be different. Nobody remembers Ali fighting Trevor Berbick at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Center in the Bahamas in 1981. Or Sugar Ray fighting Terry Norris. They are still remembered as great fighters.

Insya Allah And Still undefeated ☝ 👑 Shavkat Rakhmonov

Would’ve been so much more hyped for usman vs wonderboy. I feel like the ufc took that one away from us. Usman and wonderboy have been in the division for so long and have never fought. I would’ve loved to see it. I still remember when usman was talking it up with Stephen before wonderboy vs Tyron.

He should turn down Shavkat, this isnt gonna go well for wonderboy

Ariel always has the interviews we want

Wonderboy, please take it easy on Laura's BF Shavkat. He's a good boy too🙏🙏🙏

I am so glad the gastelum fight didn't workout because I thought Shavkat deserved a way better ranked opponent. I get wonder boy turning down the fight at first but at this point it be a miracle if someone his age won the belt. I'm glad he finally stepped up and it blows my mind this is the first fight of the night when it could literally the one before the championship.

So classy . God bless him

Insane how a billion dollar company is refusing to pay one of his fighters

Coolest dude in the UFC hands down. Waddup Wonderboy 💥👋🏽👋🏽

Man belongs in the HOF one day

Retirement fight for wonderboy! Nice to know ya bruh! Shavkat gonna wreck him.

I will be rooting for you Thompson!

Wonderboy ralks like his takedown defense is top notch. Im sorry but Wonderboy doesn't deserve a title shot off of this fight. Why are we trying to skip this guy past other guys who have beat him. Earn your way. This is not the way to it for me.

Sadly, I really enjoy both of these fighters, especially Wonderboy. As such, it’s going to really hurt when one of them loses. My money is on Shavkat though, he’s just too young, too hungry, and too skilled to allow Wonderboy to dictate the pace (which is, imo, the only way Wonderboy has a chance). Unless Wonderboy shows so new wrinkles to his game, it’s a wrap for my one of my favorite fighters of all time.

if wonderboy win, he deserves a title shot next

14:20. Other fighters, pay attention to what he just said. "I'm going to keep going, as long as my body will let me." This is how you get the UFC to approve a title shot. I can't believe how many fighters declare their retirement in advance, providing the UFC zero incentive to grant them a title shot.

True Martial Artist along w GSP

i love wonderboy but i was sure he was gonna duck shavkat as much as he can . He said he wanted to fight for a title and i dont think shavkat is best route to the title but huge respect.

Nothing but respect to Wonderboy he's such a nice guy but but Shavkat Rakhmonov Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 is the beast who eats fighters like Wonderboy for breakfast so it's only business as Conor says 😊🇰🇿👍

The nice guy who can fight like hell

Wonderboy is in the top 5 greatest MMA strikers of all time

how fun was wonderboy vs holland? ufc is dumb to feed him to just another wrestler.

Amazing how undamaged/fresh Thompson's face looks considering he's spent the last few years fighting beasts like Holland, Burns, Masvidal, Till, Woodley (twice), Pettis, Luque, Neal etc Not a scratch on him!

I think its the lethal grappling threat of Shavkat that Wonderboy has to overcome. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to a great fight.

Shavkat Rakhmonov is a killer...good luck Wonderboy:)

ariel is a num nut, saying shavkat is just gonna wrestle hahah has he watched any of shavkats fights?? dude is an all around fighter.

in 6 minutes wonderboy thanked his team for taking care of him. None of his teamates ever tokd him who Shavkat was? For sure.

14:35 I honestly feel like he was talking about Tony Ferguson I know he said you see guys but my mind immediately reverted to El Cucuy

Wonderboy has gotten old. Now he is Wonderman 👨‍🦳

wonderboys the one fighter i believe when they say 'i dont feel old' last time out he looked 25

He said UFC already had something for Usman and Dana said Belal had a fight already at the post press of DWCS so Belal vs Usman confirmed?

I don't pay for fights simply because €80 is a month worth of food for me. But if i could afford it i would simply because wonderboy always leaves everything in that cage. So with an opponent like Shavkat you know it will be a banger.

first round. shavkat throws a left jab and wonderboy throws a questionmark kick around it. first round knockout

I reckon this is a cross roads fight for Wonderboy If he Wins then its all good but if he loses then i think he should think of giving it up....id hate to see Wonderboy hit the losing streaks just like i hwte seeing it with Tony

Wonder boy just confirmed belal is fighting oozman

you gotta respect how Colby's been able to stop this division from moving singlehandedly I mean its genuinely impressive and if this was someone else his fans would have crucified that person which is part of why nothing's happening with that division

Shavkat is going to beat Thompson up pretty bad. Thompson has no wrestling at all. Bad match up for Thompson.

Hey Ariel. Sorry about the hockey. How the Knicks looking this year?

I'd like to see Wonderboy at 185, stop with the weight cuts Wonderboy V Strickland for the belt would be a great matchup!

The consequence for missing weight should be 10% per lb. missed, plus a limit to weight gained afterward weighing in. So if you're fighting at 135, the limit is 144, some fighters gain 10 to 20 lbs after weighing in.

Love Wonderboy, but he is about to get his ass WHOOPED

1 of my favorite fighters when my cousin knocked him out I was happy af but was like damn man lol

Actally Colby was the first guy to take usman Down tho it was only a split sec it was my 1st tim ever seeing that but surprised usman never tried to take colby down prob cuz he didnt fear colbys power but Colby def scored a lot on Usman and even had him a bit hurt at one point in their 2nd fight but oddly went for a takedown an i was like NO keep punching hes in a lil trouble! 😄 but fight 2 was great n much closer.I got edwards tho in a great fight

Wonderboy will be the underdog. Awesome fight nevertheless.

Wonderboy by decision 29-28, badly hurting Shavkat in rd1 and 3, even ending up in top control for a bit

Wonder boy always has been one of my fav fighters ever

Hearing Wonderboy describe the last pounds in a weight cut sucks. They should make 170-175 add 165 weight class and 195 weight class

🙏🏻 get that W!

A fan favorite for sure ,

shavkat is a killa

Great dude

wonderboy always has such class

Let’s go Thunderboy Whompson! Let’s go bro. Please put on a clinic and make a point. Ur good enough, ur talented enough and u deserve a run at the belt again. Let’s gooooooo

You can get to 170 easy? Steven cutting the weight is maybe more damaging than fighting, no cutting water emptying you gut fine it improves your performance.

That tony moment crushed all of us fans 😢

This kid should have gotten the Usman fight and it's kinda funny how the avoided lower ranked eventually climp the rankings where they have to be fought sooner or later even though the ones that have stayed at the top are used to build their potential and future in most cases, but that's just any business and happens in life as well...

Tough fight for Stephen however if he pulls off a special win he could fight for the belt next. never know, he needs a huge performance here

I feel wonderboy is going to put up an amazing fight but the win is definitely going to shavkat

Ariel, if Wonderboy wants to be a champion then he has to win against wrestlers as well. Steven doesn't have the leverage of someone like Perreira or Connor where UFC will cherry pick his contenders to set up a mega might with the Champion. He'll have to find his way through.

Much love WB. Honorary Canadian

Why does he want to get wrestled to the ground and lose instead of fighting a striker like Garry?

One of the biggest ranked squatters of his division right next to Colby Covington.

Dude, i actually see a major opportunity for wonderboy to k.o this kid. Shavkat being undefeated may mind up costing him because if you dont respect wonderboy he will take your head off dude.. wonderboy needs to watch film, because shavkat doesnt move his head off the center line. The threw scariest dudes in the ufc right now are khamzat, shavkat & alex Pereira. All three have the same flaws which is no head movement. & 2/3 arent good at fighting on the back foot. I think wonderboy has fought too cautiously vs belal-twood. He needs to just fire off full offense vs shavkat. Wonderboy should see hes really got nothing to lose. I do think usman wouldve been better but obviously hes fighting that bum belal. But yea wonderboy will crack shavkat. The question will be tho, will shavkat settle for just stalling offensive wrestling? I think shavkat is going to think he can outstrike wonderboy & pay the ultimate price.. All that said, if wonderboy beats shavkat- does he get colby covington? Id say leon but if he somehow beats colby leon wont fight again for another calendar year & by then wonderboy will be on a walker

He should have fought Perreira, a win would have been a massive credit to him.

Ariel kept digging and digging for Wonderboy to say something along the lines of "yes the UFC is punishing me and it's unfair and the UFC and Dana are evil" but Wonderboy was having NONE of it just by being truthful and positive. Ariel probably went off seething after that interview ended

Wonderboy is a gem.

Good luck Wonderboy

NMF, as you get older, your training frequency should be less and more focus on recovery. You shouldnt need the sparring or mitt time like you did when you were younger

Shavkat bes look out, this is all in wonderboy.

There are some guys that you just don’t want to see get hit or knocked out. Wonderboy is one of those people.

Wonderboy is so nice that he gets a pass from most. The Shavkat fight is way more difficult than the missed weight michel fight

Props for Wonderboy taking the fight but damn I don't think he's coming out on top on this one lol.

Wonderboy just announced kamaru vs belal after dana saying belal has a fight and usman has a fight

This is a dude that could have been a Seal, or an Army Ranger or a MARSOC Fast marine based on his integrity alone and then there’s his skills.

Logical consequences for missing weight by more then a pound is to say your next fight will be the weight class up

That Gilbert Burns fight was so lame. All he did was literally just hold wonder boy down. I remember he got boo’ed lol 😂

Thompson is a realist.

It’s gonna be a good fight