Stephen Thompson – UFC 217 (MMA Mania)

The card for UFC 217 continues to grow. Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson will face off against Jorge Masvidal. The welterweight bout was rumored thanks to a tweet by Masvidal before being confirmed by MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. The event takes place at Madison Square Garden on November 4th in New York City.

“Wonderboy” (13-2-1) is looking to get back on track after his last two fights against Tyron Woodley. After performing a masterpiece at UFC 205 at MSG, the two faced off at UFC 209. Let’s just say that fight did not go over well with the fans. Before the draw and loss, Thompson won seven straight fights.

Masvidal (32-12) is also looking to get back on track after a previous win streak. The 32-year old lost to Demian Maia at UFC 211 via split decision. Before that, he won three fights in a row over an impressive trio of opponents: Donald Cerrone, Jake Ellenberger and Ross Pearson.

A win for either of these fighters could propel them into the Welterweight Title picture. In Thompson’s case, it could result in a third chance at Woodley. Thompson is ranked number one while Masvidal is ranked fourth in the UFC.com welterweight division ranking system.

Other fights announced for the event will be Michael Bisping defending his UFC Middleweight Title against Georges St-Pierre, Cody Garbrandt defending his Bantamweight Title against T.J. Dillashaw and many more. Adding Thompson v. Masvidal just ensures another potentially epic match for the crowd to enjoy.

Tickets for UFC 217 go on sale on September 15th through Ticketmaster and The Garden box office.