MMAOddsBreaker’s Frank Trigg speaks with current top 15 UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson and his father Ray Thompson before he began his training camp for his upcoming fight at UFC 195 against Neil Magny.
The talented striker still feels he has a long way to go to keep pace with the elite wrestlers at the top of the division, but he thinks he’s doing a good job of playing catch up:
“Right now, the top five are just legit wrestlers and honestly those are the guys that give me trouble. I don’t come from a wrestling background. I had my first MMA fight in 2010 and I hardly had any background in wrestling and jiu-jitsu. There are a few guys in the top 10 in the division who are gonna stand and bang with you like Tarec Saffiedine, like Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit I believe. I think right now, I’m fine where I’m at, right at number nine, number eight. I feel comfortable there. There’s a few guys behind me who are legit like Gunnar Nelson, but it’s those wrestlers that are trouble.”