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“Don’t Retire”: UFC Fans React as Stephen Thompson Seemingly Confirms His Retirement Fight Opponent

Published 01/04/2023, 7:20 AM EST

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Stephen Thompson, the 6th ranker in the UFC welterweight division, has a good relationship with most of the fighters. One such friend that he has amassed is Ian Machado Garry. The duo had trained together and developed into close friends. Recently, the news of the ‘Wonderboy’ retiring from the UFC has been circling around. However, ‘The Future’ desires to be the final fight for Thompson in the UFC.

While many of the fans did not wish to see the legendary kickboxer out of action, every single one admitted that the fight would be an interesting one. Furthermore, many of the fans stood beside Thompson, believing he would rise victorious if the two ever fought.

Fans react to Stephen Thompson’s possible retirement from UFC

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The Irish mixed martial artist Ian Machado Garry, and the American kickboxer, Stephen Thompson, exchanged a few pleasantries on Twitter, recently. While the ‘Wonderboy’ is probably getting ready to retire from the UFC, Garry desires to be the last opponent Thompson fights. The Irish MMA prospect wrote, “Hey @WonderboyMMA save that final spot for me…no takedowns & we’ll put on a show.”

Without a doubt, his friend responded to the tweet, seemingly confirming the rumors about his retirement. He replied, “Nothing but love and respect.” The fans on Twitter were not ready to let the young fighter retire so soon. Nonetheless, some fans also commented that they would love to see the bout between the two. 

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Some fans revealed their excitement about the retirement fight between the two.

Furthermore, the news found its way to Instagram, as well. Real Fight Talk put forth Garry’s tweet in the post. However, fans were simply aligned in favor of ‘Wonderboy’. Moreover, some fans also believed that the American kickboxer could easily knock the Irishman out.

Additionally, some fans even doubted Garry‘s grappling skills. Nonetheless, everyone aligned towards Thompson to get the win, in case the two ever landed against each other.

Read More: ‘I Want To Be the Oldest Guy Who Ever Fought in the UFC’- Stephen Thompson Says Retirement Is Not on the Cards

Here’s what fans had to say:

  • asking for no takedowns is wild garry exposing his game
  • im going to sound dumb if ian is actually a good grappler but does he even have takedowns lmao
  • Wonderboy brutally knocks him out
  • Garry does not want to do that
  • Wonderboy brutally knocks him out

Ian Machado Garry’s interview revealed his interest in fighting Stephen Thompson

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The enthusiasm of the fighter to be the last opponent for Thompson was revealed in Garry’s interview with GiveMeSport. However, he wanted to fight the American fighter out of love and respect. The reason he chose ‘Wonderboy’ was his performance against Kevin Holland at UFC Orlando. However, fighting a friend with no takedowns might not be UFC’s style.

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The Irish mixed martial artist also commented about Thompson retiring from the UFC. However, his intention to be his retirement fight was crystal clear. ‘The Future’ said, “It’s not about him retiring. He just had one of the best performances of his career. But I would love to be that retirement fight for him when he feels the time is right.”

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Although the fighter’s plans aren’t clear, his retirement fight is seemingly booked. What are your thoughts on Thompson’s retirement plan? Let us know in the comments down below.

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Written by:

Krushna Prasad Pattnaik

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Krushna Pattnaik is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Coming from a pharmaceutical background with a master's degree in the same and multiple scientific publications, his passion for combat sports and writing brought him to EssentiallySports, where both of his passions met in a beautiful collaboration. He is an instrumentalist and has a profound love for books.
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Edited by:

Vineet Nandwana