Stephen Thompson Finds Inspiration in Masvidal's Career Turnaround

Jorge Masvidal has had a banner year so far, vaulting from respected veteran to superstar and possible title contender, and one former opponent finds inspiration in Gamebred’s wild ride.

Stephen Thompson, himself a two-time welterweight title challenger in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is in fact the last man to beat Masvidal, taking a unanimous decision at UFC 217 in November 2017. After that loss, his second in a row, Masvidal took a year away from the sport, returned this year and has been on a tear, with knockout victories over Darren Till and Ben Askren.

Meanwhile, Thompson is now riding a two-fight skid of his own, having lost to Till and Anthony Pettis in his last two outings. In a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Luke Thomas Show,” Thompson claimed he is encouraged by his former foe’s comeback and runaway success.

“Watching Masvidal and seeing what has been happening to him recently is kind of inspirational for me,” Thompson said. “Yes, I beat him [in] my last fight at Madison Square Garden, and it’s kind of inspirational because I lost my last two fights. So knowing and seeing Masvidal lose and then come back [with] two wins, and now look at him. I mean he’s one of the most popular guys in the UFC right now over two knockouts over Darren Till and Ben Askren. That could be me this year.

“To me that’s kind of inspirational,” Thompson continued. “Like, I can do this. That kind of gives me confidence as well. Even though I’ve lost twice, I can be back and be back right where I was before in no time. Over two fights. So man my hat goes off to Masvidal for sure. I’m actually dumb happy for the guy.”

The 36-year-old Thompson will look to get back on track when he faces the streaking Vicente Luque at UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden. That card, scheduled for Nov. 2, is set to be headlined by Masvidal, who takes on fellow comeback star Nate Diaz for the newly-minted "BMF belt."