Thompson (17-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) on Saturday took a unanimous decision from Geoff Neal (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in the welterweight main event at UFC on ESPN+ 39, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
It was a dominant performance for the former two-time title challenger, who was just coming off a five-round war with Vicente Luque in July.
After the victory, which was his 11th in the UFC, Thompson called for a title shot. Is he deserving?
Yes, but he might want to pump the brakes a little bit.
First, the good. The victory over Neal should erase any doubt that “Wonderboy” doesn’t still have plenty of game at age 36. He looked as fresh as he has in years, and his performance showed it.
second, the title shot. He’s definitely earned it.Thompson is now 11-4-1 in the UFC with wins over the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Robbie Lawler, Johny Hendricks and now Neal. That’s a resume that should get him a title shot.
But here’s the thing: He’s just 1-3 in his last four fights, and he’s coming off a loss. That’s not necessarily the most ideal situation.
If Thompson wants a title shot, he should probably take one more fight. He could fight the winner of the upcoming fight between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev. Or he could take on Jorge Masvidal, who just lost the BMF title to Diaz.
Either way, another win would solidify Thompson’s place in the title picture. And that’s really what he should be focused on right now.
