Stephen Thompson On Potentially Fighting Darren Till: ‘You Know What!? You Never Know’
Stephen Thompson is still recovering from the thumb injuries he sustained at UFC 217, but he’s already looking at his options for when he returns to the UFC Octagon later this year.
Thompson defeated Jorge Masvidal in November at the UFC’s second ever show at Madison Square Garden, but injured both his thumbs in the process. Speaking today, Thompson gave an update on his recovery and stated when he was planning on returning.
“It’s doing good, it’s healing up,” Thompson told MMA Junkie Radio today. “I’m hoping to be back out there in early March or early April. That’s the plan, but we’re kinda playing by ear right now.”
“The doctor wanted to put a big pin in the big joint in my thumb just to keep everything stable because that ligament isn’t doing it anymore, I ended up tearing it,” Thompson continued. “But, you know, I want to be able to fight. I’m not done yet, far from it. I’m a young 34-year-old I like to tell myself. I can make a fist, I just can’t tighten it up. Hitting stuff is quite painful right now. I’m doing physiotherapy to get in 100-percent to at least where I can do those things. I think the pain will always be there, but as an MMA fighter I’m always used to that. I’ve had four knee surgeries on my left and three on my right so you get kinda accustomed to it.”
Thompson was briefly linked with a fight with British fighter Darren Till, but with Dana White seemingly just getting ahead of himself, Thompson father Ray was quick to deny the report that a fight was in the works for UFC on Fox 28 on Feb. 24.
Today, however, Thompson said he was going to welcome all challengers when he returns to the Octagon later this year.
“You know what, you never know my friend,” Thompson said. “You never know what can happen. Hopefully I can get these thumbs healed up and we’ll hear something pretty soon. Darren Till is a tough opponent, [but] we got a lot of guys which makes the welterweight division a great division.
“We got guys such as Usman and Colby Covington and the likes of Mike Perry coming up. These guys are monsters in the division and I got my eye on every one of them. You never know who it going to be man. It could be Darren Till, it could be Colby Covington, you never know. I’m preparing for whoever.”
