Securing a UFC title shot is the dream for most mixed martial artists. Some can obtain the goal, while others fall short. When fighters get the opportunity, they aren't always successful in their conquest for the ultimate prize.
Stephen Thompson enters Saturday's co-main event of UFC 264 against former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns having had not only one but two cracks at UFC gold.
First, he fought then-welterweight kingpin Tyron Woodley to a majority draw at UFC 205 in a battle that could have gone either way in one of the best bouts of 2016. Then, a little less than four months later, at UFC 209, they ran it back with Woodley winning via majority decision.
Looking at the current welterweight landscape, "Wonderboy" should be in the driver's seat if he can take care of Burns. 170-pound champion Kamaru Usman has already dispatched top contenders Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal (twice), Leon Edwards, and Burns himself. Thompson sits No. 4 in the latest UFC rankings behind Covington, Burns, and Edwards.
"I think a good win over Gilbert Burns definitely puts me in that top contendership with fighting Kamaru Usman," Thompson told DAZN News. "I’m among the only guys who hasn’t fought him. Everybody else has fought this guy in the top 10, top five. So here I am.
"The fans want to see it. They're (the UFC) talking about Colby Covington, which I don't understand why that's happening. But Leon Edwards, at least this guy's got a nine-fight winning streak. Yes, he's already fought Kamaru Usman, but I understand why he's not fought yet (for the title). But I know I'll be right there with him.
"So a good win over Gilbert Burns, I'll be right there for that title shot."
Thompson is right in his assessment about Covington. Even though UFC president Dana White has proclaimed that Covington is the No. 1 contender and will face Usman sometime in 2021, what has "Chaos" done to deserve another chance at Usman?
After getting stopped in the fifth round by Usman in a "Fight of the Year" candidate at UFC 245, Covington's only competed one other time, and that was a lopsided stoppage over Tyron Woodley in September. Woodley was on a severe downslide in his career, and his contract wasn't renewed after losing four straight contests.
Having already been stopped by the current titleholder and only fighting one time in the last 19 months shouldn't equate to securing a title shot.
Edwards can make the case because he is on a nine-fight winning streak. Yes, he lost to Usman, but that was over five years ago, and the Englishman has improved tremendously since December 2015.
But the reason you could question Edwards getting a shot at Usman is the fact if Nate Diaz had one more minute in their fight at UFC 263, he would have won in a Hail Mary of all Hail Marys and then we would likely be having a different conversation.
Those scenarios alone should put Thompson in a prime position to lock in a UFC title shot for the third time should he beat Burns at UFC 264. It would be easy for Thompson to look ahead and think about what potentially lies ahead. However, Thompson knows how talented Burns is and understands why he earned the chance to win the welterweight title and vows to stay focused for however long the fight lasts.
"Because I know I've fought guys who look past me," Thompson said. "You can't look past opponents. You got to worry about the task at hand, which is Gilbert Burns, who is a puzzle in his own right.
"He's very well-rounded. (He has) very good striking, very good ji-jitsu. I got to navigate myself through all of that, and it’s only 15 minutes, but 15 minutes can seem like hours out there. I know what I got to do. I've been in the game for a long time. I think experience has a lot to do with it."
A win over Burns would be Thompson's third in a row, with the first two being over rising contender Vicente Luque and fellow contender Geoff Neal. A dominating win over a former title challenger on potentially one of the most-watched main events in UFC history with the trilogy match between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor should net the 37-year-old one more try at his lifelong dream.