“I always keep that in the back of my mind,” he said. “I know every time I step into the Octagon with somebody, even if they say they’re gonna stand there and bang it out, eventually they’re gonna want to try and take me down. So wherever the fight goes, I’m gonna be ready for it. I always have been prepared for that just in case they try to get me down to the ground or if it does happen. Even though everybody’s thinking that this is gonna be a standup match, he could want to take me down, and I’ve got guys in the gym that are helping me get ready for that as well.”
That could be an annoying, but understandable, byproduct of being an elite striker, or it could be a compliment. Thompson, one of the nicest guys in all of sports, always sees the glass as half-full.
“It is a compliment,” he said. “It goes to show that I’m one of the best strikers in the UFC. But he (Pettis) could want to stand there and bang it out, and he could be the best striker I’ve faced in the UFC so far. And I really do think he’s probably the most familiar with my style just because he comes from a taekwondo background. Even though we have differences, there are some similarities to our styles as well, but out of everybody that I mentioned that I wanted to fight, Anthony Pettis will probably be the one that is most used to my style.”
Call me crazy, but I think we’re going to get what we want Saturday night. That would be music to the ears of Thompson, who now has a clearer path to another world title shot since the man he fought twice for the belt – Tyron Woodley – has been dethroned by Kamaru Usman. And the belt remains his primary focus.
“I’m 36 and I’ve got a small window to do what I want to do, and I’m not giving up on that title,” Thompson said. “I’ve still got my eyes on the prize, and up until then, give me the biggest fights possible.”
