Neil Magny names Stephen Thompson as ideal opponent after UFC 297 upset: “I would love that opportunity”

UFC welterweight contender Neil Magny is targeting Stephen Thompson after his most recent win.

‘The Haitian Sensation’ recently returned to the cage in Toronto, Canada, at UFC 297. There, Neil Magny faced the rising Mike Malott, who was undefeated in the promotion. The Canadian was a massive favorite heading to the matchup, while Magny was coming off a lopsided loss to Ian Machado Garry in August.

At UFC 297 over the weekend, Neil Magny upset the odds and the Canadian audience. After being dominated in rounds one and two, the longtime welterweight made a stunning comeback. In the final seconds of round three, Magny scored the stoppage win. In the process, handing Mike Malott the first loss of his promotional tenure.

Days removed from that victory, Neil Magny appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. There, the welterweight contender called out fellow promotional veteran, Stephen Thompson. ‘Wonderboy’ is coming off a submission loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov in December at UFC 296. The defeat was the first submission defeat of Thompson’s lengthy career.

In classic, Neil Magny fashion, he’s down to face Stephen Thompson in a fast turnaround as well. Seeing as how the rest of the division is largely booked, he believes a bout with ‘Wonderboy’ makes sense. The fight would also provide Magny a chance to break back into the top ten.

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Neil Magny calls out Stephen Thompson after scoring upset win at UFC 297

“One of the cool things about fighting so early on into the year is that I have so many more months ahead of me to go out there and compete,” Neil Magny stated on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, discussing his future. “At this point, the majority of guys in the top 10 are pretty much scheduled for fights.” (h/t MMA News)

He continued, “I think a fight with a guy like ‘Wonderboy’ at this point would be a super ideal fight. Timeframe-wise, I see no reason why that fight can’t happen as early as April or May… I would love that opportunity.”

While Neil Magny would love to fight Stephen Thompson, ‘Wonderboy’ has some big options as of now. Beyond a matchup with ‘The Haitian Sensation’, the Karate-based fighter was called out by Colby Covington in December. For his part, ‘Chaos’ is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296.

As of now, Stephen Thompson is yet to respond to Neil Magny’s callout. However, a fight between ranked welterweight veterans makes a bit of sense.

What do you make of these comments? Do you want to see Neil Magny vs. Stephen Thompson? Who do you have winning in that UFC welterweight clash?