Exclusive: Stephen Wonderboy Thompson: I’m Not Sure What Colby Covington Is Going For

Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson was unable to get past rival Tyron Woodley in their two meetings for the UFC Welterweight Championship, but he remains at the top of the heap in the 170 pound division.

Among the luminaries joining him in the upper echelon of Welterweight are Colby Covington, whose brash demeanor has caught the eyes and ears of fans and fighters alike. In an interview with Fightful.com's James Lynch, "Wonderboy" broke down Covington's most recent victory, a 2017 win over Demian Maia.

"Colby Covington did work. He beat a really good Demian Maia. Do I think it was the best Demian Maia? No, I don't. In the first round, Demian Maia was putting his hands on him. He was hitting Colby Covington with some good hand strikes. After that first round, it seemed like Demian Maia just died. I think in that first round (Maia) felt like he should go out and prove something and knock him out, and when it didn't work, Colby Covington just took over," 

Covington has been on a trash-talk world tour since the fight, even referring to Thompson as "Wondergirl" in a recent interview with Fightful. While the approach confuses Thompson, he won't discount Covington's in-cage abilities. 

"He's ranked number three now and he's talking trash to anyone in his path," Thompson said with a laugh. "I really don't know what he's going for. He is talking a lot of trash. Not just to his opponents, but a whole nation. To all the Brazilians and people in Brazil period. You're not going to win fans over that way, but you have people who love to watch you and love to hate you. I don't know if he's going for that part of it, but there's a lot of guys that want to see him fall. He's a tough guy."

In the full interview, Stephen Wonderboy Thompson (14-2-1) talks about his win over Jorge Masvidal (32-12) at UFC 217 and the injury he suffered in that fight. Stephen also talks about potential matchups against – Rafael Dos Anjos, Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Darren Till, his love for snowboarding and potentially competing in Pro Wrestling.