Stephen Thompson’s dream of having his final career bout inside Madison Square Garden is close to coming true, a wish that one of his former rivals actively hoped would happen. This same competitor previously shared the Octagon with him in a memorable UFC welterweight championship clash at the very same venue.
That rival is Tyron Woodley. Before Thompson’s matchup against Charles Radtke was officially set for UFC 334, Woodley shared his perspective on “Wonderboy’s” desired retirement scenario during an interview with Bowks Talking Bouts:
“Wonderboy is like a brother to me, truly. Preparing for him was the most demanding challenge of my career. I had to recruit several fighters from my time—Sage Northcutt, Raymond Daniels, Avery Plowden, and Chris Spang. Together, these four individuals offered uniquely different skill sets. Chris was a highly versatile mixed martial artist who also possessed a solid foundation in karate and point-fighting.”
“Raymond Daniels, who also transitioned into MMA, shared that exact karate background and remains the sole fighter to have genuinely conquered Wonderboy in their discipline. Plowden held the championship title in their original sport at the time. Meanwhile, Sage Northcutt acted as a sort of physical anomaly—seemingly engineered with no body fat and limitless endurance. I struggled to secure even a single round against Raymond during practice, and it took me weeks to get any leverage over Sage unless I relied heavily on my wrestling and groundwork.”
“I was forced to wear heavy taekwondo body armor and chest guards to prevent him from fracturing my ribs with his sidekicks. That camp pushed me to my absolute limits, and the mental strain of trying to decipher his style was exhausting. Eventually, I figured out how to read his movements once I bypassed his initial, opening strikes. The majority of his opponents never managed to get past that first layer. I had to anticipate his reactions if, for example, a lead-leg sidekick failed to connect. What would his next move be?”
“He would follow up with a spinning back kick. If I bypassed that, then he would execute another specific counter. Through this, I unlocked their tactical mindset and training philosophy. If I hadn’t invested heavily in that preparation—spending a massive six-figure sum on coaches, travel, sparring partners, nutrition, and flights—I would have lost to him. I had to do all that just to secure two narrow victories. Without that extensive preparation, he certainly would have defeated me; even with it, the fights were incredibly tight.”
Stephen Thompson shares the same martial arts spirit as GSP and Khabib, Woodley says
Reflecting further on his evolving relationship with Thompson—transitioning from fierce rivals in the cage to acting alongside each other today—Woodley added [via Bowks Talking Bouts]:
“Just picture what would have happened if I hadn’t prepared like that. If I had just walked in there arrogantly thinking, ‘Forget this karate style, I’m just going to run through him.’ I most likely would have been defeated. That’s why I genuinely want to see him succeed now. I honestly wished he had captured the championship at some point, because when I reigned at the top, he was right on my heels. I misjudged his character early on, which I have since apologized for. We actually filmed a movie, Road House 2, together recently.”
“It seems we have some pickup shots to film, so we will be reuniting in London soon. Working together allowed me to understand him in a completely new light. He is truly an exceptional person, both inside and out. Just as Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team embody a strict discipline, Stephen possesses that true warrior bushido spirit, but with an incredibly pure heart. He really reminds me of Georges St-Pierre. I always enjoy being in his company.”
“He is an outstanding martial artist and a wonderful human being. I truly hope he gets to retire exactly on his own terms. If that means saying goodbye at Madison Square Garden, that would be amazing. Coincidentally, my computer’s background is Times Square, which I’ve been staring at throughout our conversation. If that is his dream departure, I sincerely hope the UFC can facilitate it within their schedule. He is simply a class act.”
Originally published on BJPENN.COM
