UFC Welterweight Stephen Thompson spoke to Mike Heck via MMA Fighting and expressed his views on a former opponent. ‘Wonderboy’ looked back at a victory from November 2017 against current title challenger Jorge Masvidal. Thompson is currently the last person to have handed ‘Gamebred’ a loss on his record.

Jorge Masvidal is one half of the blockbuster main event for UFC 251 taking place in Abu Dhabi. The event is one of the most highly anticipated live match-ups of the year, much in part to Miami’s own Masvidal, who has become a huge star in the UFC.

Stephen Thompson on Jorge Masvidal

The ‘Nicest Mofo’ in the game took a look back at a crucial victory that occurred back at UFC 217. Fans would be quick to point out that this version of Masvidal is unlike what he has morphed into.

“Well, you’re not going to break his spirit out there. Normally you see guys fade when they’re getting pieced up. He’s very good at taking damage and after every fight, you don’t really see Masvidal messed up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the guy with a cut, or ever banged up. He takes damage very, very well.”

The fight played out predominantly on the feet as both welterweights are seasoned strikers. Not to mention, both elite athletes are notoriously difficult to take down with a high stoppage rate. The fight would grind to a decision victory in favor of Stephen Thompson.

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Stephen Thompson then doubled down on Masvidal’s ferocity as he continued on to say,

“You can’t break his spirit, and that’s going to be a big part of this fight. The first two or three rounds, he could get taken down every round. But he’s gonna go out there with the same tenacity, that same intensity as he does in the first round in the fifth round. That’s how Masvidal is.”

Since his defeat, the former street fighter has managed to change his entire overall approach inside the cage. His career has spanned a 17-year period, and it finally appears that ‘Gamebred’ has actualized his potential. The mega main event at UFC 251 will be a crucial point in his career as he faces off against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’.