Woodley On Thompson's UFC 334 Retirement Fight

Tyron Woodley has thrown his support behind Stephen Thompson's retirement fight at UFC 334 in Madison Square Garden.

Thompson will face Charles Radtke at the November event, marking his final appearance in the octagon at the same venue where he and Woodley fought twice for the welterweight title. Asked about his former rival's retirement plans, Woodley told Bowks Talking Bouts that he hopes the UFC makes it happen. "Wonder Boy is my brother, man," he said, per BJ Penn. "He was the toughest. He was the toughest training camp I ever had."

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Woodley Recounts Grueling Camp For Thompson

Woodley said he brought in Raymond Daniels, Sage Northcutt, Chris Spang, and Avery Plowden to simulate Thompson's karate style. He admitted he never won a round against Daniels in sparring and had to wear body protectors to avoid rib injuries from Northcutt's sidekicks. Woodley estimated he spent six figures on the camp and said Thompson would have beaten him without that preparation.

The former champion now considers Thompson a close friend after working together on Road House 2. Woodley compared Thompson to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre in terms of martial arts discipline, calling him a pure martial artist and a beautiful human being. He said he wished Thompson had won the title when they were both at the top of the division.

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Thompson confirmed his retirement bout earlier this month. The 43-year-old has competed in the UFC since 2012 and challenged for the welterweight title twice against Woodley in 2016 and 2017, with both fights ending in close decisions.

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• BJPenn — Stephen Thompson swan song at UFC 334 prayed for by ex-foe from MSG classic