Side-by-side with smiles, Stephen Thompson and Jorge Masvidal agree to upcoming fight

After each suffered a recent high-profile loss, welterweight contenders Stephen Thompson and Jorge Masvidal are looking at each other for an upcoming fight.

Thompson (13-2-1 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) and Masvidal (32-12 MMA, 9-5 UFC) said today during a fan Q&A in Singapore ahead of UFC Fight Night 111 that they on board for a future showdown, it’s just a matter of settling on a date and location then getting bout agreements officially sent out and signed.

“Wonderboy” is coming off a title-fight loss to champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 209 in March, while Masvidal dropped a narrow split decision to Demian Maia in a No. 1 contender fight at UFC 211 in May. Both men are eager to get back in the title mix immediately, and they see each other as the quickest path to the top.

“(It’s not official) yet, but we want it,” Thompson said. “We definitely want it, to get together and get out there in the octagon and face off. Obviously you saw him in his last fight, which I thought he won, against Demian Maia. (Masvidal is) a very good striker and I think it’s going to be fireworks.”

Masvidal, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, agrees a showdown with “Wonderboy” would make for a fan-pleasing affair, even if preparation for the fight would be a challenge. No. 2-ranked Thompson’s karate-based style is a puzzling task for most, and even 170-pound champ Woodley had enormous problems figuring him out during their two-fight series.

“Gamebred” is the type who relishes every type of challenge, though. He gave Maia, arguably the best grappler in the sport, a handful over the course of three rounds, but fell just short on the scorecards. Now Masvidal wants one of the best strikers in the sport, and while he respects Thompson, he knows what beating him would mean for his career.

“He does things that nobody really in the division does,” Masvidal said. “The karate that he brings and the high level that he brings, it’s only him that does that. I would have to get in special sparring partners, I’d have to get guys that could mimic that and I’d have to prepare for it.

“It’s going to happen, man. Hopefully.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.