Stephen Thompson: UFC champ Tyron Woodley hasn't seen the best 'Wonderboy'

Stephen Thompson has his rematch with UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

Now, what is “Wonderboy” going to do with it?

“There’s going to be no doubt in everybody’s mind who the winner of that fight is going to be, and that’s going to be me,” Thompson told MMAjunkie Radio.

When the recent title challenger gave his interview, he was still awaiting official confirmation of a rematch with Woodley at UFC 209, which takes place March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Woodley pulled quite a few head-fakes before announcing Monday that the fight will headline the pay-per-view event, four months after the two fought to a majority draw at UFC 205.

“You need to be careful what you ask for,” Woodley said on his “The Morning Wood Show” podcast. “‘Wonderboy,’ you want it? Come get it.”

Thompson (13-1-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC), No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, said UFC President Dana White called him one month prior to sign his contract for the spring card, which he posted on Twitter to give No. 1 Woodley (16-3-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) a little extra motivation to do the same. An immediate rematch seemed low on the champ’s list of priorities, judging by a list of opponents he rattled off this past week in an interview with MMAjunkie Radio. The list included middleweight champ Michael Bisping, vet Nick Diaz and ex-welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre.

“He wants to fight everybody else but me is what it seems like,” Thompson said. “We did fight to a draw last time, which, in my eyes, we might as well have not even fought at all. It almost seems like he’s happy with a draw, and he’s OK with it. In my eyes, as a champion, I wouldn’t be happy with that.”

Since the draw, Thompson has struggled to reconcile the fighter he is in training with the one who showed up to UFC 205. Admittedly distracted by the event’s high-profile buzz, he said he let the moment get to him. Instead of going after the champ, he was more measured than usual.

“I know what it feels like to be out there with him, and going back and watching that last fight, I didn’t throw everything I know I can throw,” he said. “I was a little hesitant, didn’t do a lot of switching sides, didn’t throw the kicks that I normally throw. Tyron Woodley hasn’t seen the best Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.”

“In the fifth round, I had his timing down, and the second and third as well,” he said later. “I felt fine. I just didn’t commit as much to my strikes to put a little more damage on him. I would punch him and move out of the way a little bit. I know I can hit him, and I can hit him with some power.”

Over the past two weeks, the challenger’s goal has been to correct his shortcomings. It’s no guarantee he’ll show up on fight night, of course. But it might leave him feeling like he gave everything he could to be champion.

“I fight for the honor and the glory, and I didn’t win that fight,” he said. “It was a draw, and I was a little disappointed in myself that I didn’t give it 110 percent, which motivates me more to train as hard as I can for when I step out there again.

“I know I can hit him, and I can hit him with some power. I’ve got his number, man. Next time we step out there, I can just go out there and do my thing.”

For more on UFC 209, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.