UFC 291 was an electrifying night for many, but unfortunately not for Stephen Thompson. The ‘Wonderboy’ was going to face Michel Pereira at the PPV, but the fight got canceled. The reason? Pereira missed the weight by 3 pounds, and Thompson decided not to fight him. Later, it was revealed that ‘Wonderboy’ was not paid for the canceled bout.

The news triggered a varied range of reactions from the MMA world. While some believed that Thompson should have received a part of his purse, others felt what happened was right. Recently, Dana White addressed this situation, and it got an intriguing reaction from the former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

Tyron Woodley reacts as Dana White addresses the ‘Wonderboy’ situation

Dana White, the UFC head honcho, dispelled misconceptions about fighters getting paid to abstain from bouts. Addressing the controversy surrounding Thompson’s UFC 291 match cancellation, White clarified that fighters don’t receive payment for simply not fighting.

“How that works it, guys don’t just get paid to not fight. Its not how that works. Guys have been paid, we have taken care of guys,” he said. The UFC President highlighted that it was Thompson’s decision to not fight. Further, he also asserted that ‘Wonderboy’ would have received a part of Pereira’s purse if he chose to fight.

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Interestingly, White also revealed that the UFC offered Thompson another short-notice opponent. “You decided not to fight. You get a piece of his purse if you take the fight. But if you don’t take the fight, we offered him another fight. You don’t just show up and say I don’t want that fight, I want a quarter of a million dollars,” he said.

Seeing this, Tyron Woodley gave his reactions in the comments section. “Hmmmmmmm,” the former champ commented. Although his opinions were not clear, it is evident that he has something going on in his mind. It is important to note that ‘T-Wood’ had his own problems with White in the past. Woodley accused the UFC President of not promoting him during his UFC tenure.

When Ariel Helwani backed up Stephen Thompson

One notable voice that has stood up for Thompson in the recent controversy is Ariel Helwani. In his recent YouTube video, Helwani clearly stated that ‘Wonderboy’ should have been paid despite refusing to fight.

“Let’s be very clear here. Wonderboy did nothing wrong. Wonderboy showed up and made weight and was ready to fight. Michel Pereira missed weight,” he said. Further, the MMA journalist also recalled Thompson’s past with opponents who missed weight.

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