Stephen Thompson is not a fighter used to pre-limit fights at this point in his career.
Barring any last-minute changes, UFC 307 will see “Wonderboy” face off against Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight bout on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Utah. As of now, the Thompson vs. Buckley bout is scheduled as the featured prelim bout of the night on ESPNEWS and ESPN+. For pay-per-view events, promotions typically offer at least one featured bout in the first half of the card.
“We’re used to being on the main card, but wherever UFC puts us, we’re going to go out there and put on a show no matter what and show everybody that we deserve to be there,” Thompson recently told Bodog Canada. “We should have been on the main card, but yeah, it’s kind of weird at this point with what kind of fight this is. You know you want everybody’s attention.
UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Order now!
“Now, I don’t know if it’s because my opponent couldn’t make weight the last time I was scheduled to fight in Salt Lake City, but Joaquin Buckley is known for being able to make weight, so I know he’s going to be a pro and we’re going to have fun fighting there, but yeah, I’m a little disappointed with what’s going on now.”
Thompson has not competed on a prelim card since his win over Patrick Cote at UFC 178 in September 2014.
“It’s wild,” Thompson says. “I don’t know why they would do that.
[preliminary] I think there are some fights on the main card that should be on the prelims card, but yeah, whatever.”
Thompson last competed at UFC 296, losing by second-round submission to Shavkat Rahmonov. “Wonderboy” has lost three of his last four fights inside the Octagon.
