Michael Web page combat could possibly be ‘very boring’

Stephen Thompson additionally believes a combat in opposition to Michael Web page may transform lackluster.

After Web page defeated Kevin Holland in his octagon debut final month at UFC 299, many threw out Thompson’s title as his subsequent opponent. Web page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) shut down that concept, suggesting that, with their placing types, the combat may find yourself being boring – and Thompson (17-7-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) agrees.

“Even when he was in Bellator, all people was like, ‘Man, you realize MVP vs. ‘Wonderboy,’” Thompson advised Inside Combating. “Nice efficiency, I believe he did a extremely good job on the market. Distance administration, masking the hole, being tough – particularly with any person like Kevin Holland. However, you realize, all people asks that, and I believe really Michael ‘Venom’ Web page stated it very properly: A constructive and a constructive doesn’t all the time make a constructive. We’ve such related types, it may probably be a really boring combat for everyone.

“We’re each counter strikers, very related types, so it may probably be me and him bouncing on the market within the center simply ready on any person to do one thing and although we have now related types, that doesn’t all the time make it an thrilling combat. So he’s a very good good friend of mine, good martial artist, karate man. At this level, I don’t suppose it’s obligatory, however he’s going to maintain working his means up, and he would possibly even bounce previous me to combat a few of these guys as a result of he’s on such a hype prepare proper now.”

Thompson is coming off a submission loss to undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296. Whereas he’s open to going through one other robust grappler subsequent, if he’s matched up in opposition to a striker, he needs it to be a present for the followers.

“It will get a lot hype round it and when it’s not precisely what all people expects, it’s referred to as one of many first fights on the market,” Thompson stated. “I’m within the leisure trade, and I would like my fights to be entertaining. I would like the followers to go, ‘That was epic.’ Type of just like the Kevin Holland combat that I had as a result of he was sport.

“This was a man that (has a) utterly totally different preventing fashion as Michael ‘Venom’ Web page. He comes ahead, he likes to duke it out, he’s acquired charisma, he likes to speak on the market, issues like that. Ian Garry can be one other potential one which I’d like to step on the market within the cage, as properly, and to check myself.”