Stephen Thompson says he’s next for Kamaru Usman

UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson believes he should be the next man in line to challenge champion Kamaru Usman for his title.

There are several contenders vying for the chance to take on Usman and capture his UFC welterweight crown. Among them is Jorge Masvidal, who Usman himself has called out for a rematch. “Gamebred” seems to be at the top of the UFC’s list, but that’s not set in stone. There’s also Colby Covington, who had a competitive fight with Usman two years ago and who is coming off of a TKO win over Tyron Woodley. As well, Leon Edwards is also vying for a rematch with Usman after winning his last eight fights. And finally, there’s Thompson, who is the highest-ranked fighter at 170lbs who the champ Usman hasn’t fought yet.

And now, Thompson is calling his shot. Taking to his social media, “Wonderboy” responded to a tweet from the UFC asking who should be the next man in line to face Usman. The veteran kickboxer raised his hand at the challenge, volunteering his services for the job.

🙋‍♂️ https://t.co/qInabl5PRt

— Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) February 18, 2021

Thompson (16-4-1) is coming off of back-to-back decision wins over Geoff Neal and Vicente Luque. The 38-year-old American was written off by many fans and analysts heading into those two fights due to his age and previous KO loss to Anthony Pettis, but Thompson has looked fantastic in his last two outings. He picked apart both Neal and Luque with a variety of strikes and based on those two performances, it’s hard to say he’s not ready for another shot at the UFC title. While Thompson is only ranked No. 5 at 170lbs, the fact that he’s a fresh matchup for Usman might make him an intriguing option for the UFC matchmakers.

Do you want to see Stephen Thompson fight Kamaru Usman?