EXCLUSIVE | Stephen Thompson has four potential opponents in mind for his next fight

UFC welterweight standout Stephen Thompson is in the midst of recovering from recent knee surgery.

The former two-time UFC welterweight title challenger was recently rumored to be fighting former division champion Robbie Lawler this January on ESPN. However, according to “Wonderboy” a fight with “Ruthless” is far from a done deal.

In a recent interview with BJPENN.com’s Chris Taylor, Stephen Thompson listed off for names as potential opponents for his next octagon appearance.

“There are some tough dudes out there at welterweight. Colby Covington, Rafael dos Anjos, Kamaru Usman and obviously Robbie Lawler come to mind right off the hop.” Thompson said of potential future opponents. “There is a lot of tough dudes in the division and that is why I am in this sport man. I want to faceoff with the best fighters in the world. I think of twenty years from now and I’ll be able to tell my kids and my grandkids that at one point I faced the best fighters in the world. It’s really cool to think about. I’m very fortunate.”

Stephen Thompson has already proven that he is one of the best welterweight fighters to ever step foot in the octagon.

“Wonderboy” holds stoppage victories over current UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and former welterweight title holder Johny Hendricks. He also scored a unanimous decision victory over current Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald in June of 2016.

Reports recently surfaced that Stephen Thompson was set to fight former champion Robbie Lawler on the UFC’s first ever ESPN fight card set for January 18. However, according to “Wonderboy” those reports are very premature.

“I’m definitely up for it. Unfortunately at this time there is just nothing set in stone when it comes to me fighting Robbie. It has been mentioned by the UFC but that is about it. I don’t even know if Robbie would be ready by January. So at this time I really don’t know who I’ll be facing next. It could really be anybody at this point.”