It appears that Stephen Thompson wants to fight Leon Edwards afterall.
Last week on Submission Radio, the welterweight expressed his disinterest in fighting the No. 3 ranked competitor inside of the octagon, though Thompson did label Edwards as the scariest guy in the division during the interview:
“Not really,” Thompson told “Submission Radio” on fighting Edwards. “I feel almost bad for the guy, because he literally is the guy in the top five who deserves to fight for the title,” Thompson said. “And I think that him not being able to get out of London and fight had something to do with it, that’s why they put up Gilbert Burns. But he definitely deserves the title, for sure. We’re managed by the same management company, and I just kind of feel bad that he hasn’t fought for it yet. And he, I think, is the scariest guy in the division; he really is. Every time you see this guy fight, he gets better."
Fast forward to a week later, and suddenly, “Wonderboy” has had a change of heart. In his first callout of his UFC career thus far, Thompson respectfully challenged Edwards to a fight:
Thus far, Edwards has yet to respond to Thompson’s callout. The top ranked welterweight is unlikely to step into the octagon against Thompson due to him being ranked at No. 5 in the division, thus it wouldn’t make sense for Edwards to face a fighter that doesn’t guarantee a title shot afterwards.