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Stephen Thompson once scolded two-time UFC rival for being ‘so mean’ to him in hilarious pre-fight trash talk

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Curtis Calhoun | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 9:39 PM ET

Stephen Thompson had a hilarious reaction to Tyron Woodley’s brutal trash talk.

UFC welterweight star Stephen Thompson and former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley shared one of the division’s biggest rivalries. Over 10 rounds, Woodley and Thompson battled in high-octane action that had fans on the edge of their seats.

Woodley and Thompson fought to a majority draw in their first fight at UFC 205, on a card headlined by Conor McGregor‘s legendary win over Eddie Alvarez. An immediate rematch was booked for UFC 209, as Woodley and Thompson held the biggest spotlight on one of the best cards of the year.

While the buildup to Woodley and Thompson’s first fight was relatively amicable, things took a unique turn ahead of their highly-anticipated rematch.

Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Stephen Thompson and Tyron Woodley shared some of the funniest pre-fight moments in UFC history

Thompson is notoriously friendly to his opponents, analysts, and the fans who have supported him throughout his UFC career. In a humorous twist on the UFC’s BMF belt, Thompson is regarded by fans as the unceremonious ‘NMF’ champion, hinting at his often positive demeanor.

After many pundits and analysts thought that Thompson did enough to win their first fight, Woodley upped the intensity for their rematch. He arguably came the closest to getting under Thompson’s skin as the two traded verbal barbs during a face-to-face interview on ESPN.

Woodley and Thompson had some fiery exchanges as they made their cases for why fans should expect them to win in their upcoming rematch. But things took a hilarious turn when Thompson appeared to relent to Woodley’s verbal jabs, scolding the champion for being ‘so mean’ to him.

Watch the exchange between Woodley and Thompson below.

Woodley won their UFC 209 rematch by majority decision in a result that was disputed by many pundits, including Joe Rogan, after the fight. Thompson hasn’t made it back to a UFC welterweight title shot since UFC 209, although he’s earned recent wins over the likes of Kevin Holland and Geoff Neal.

Woodley went on to defend the UFC welterweight title against Demian Maia and Darren Till before a dominant loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235. He parted ways with the UFC after a loss to Vicente Luque at UFC 260.

Stephen Thompson could potentially retire with a loss this weekend at UFC Nashville

Flash forward to 2025, Thompson will return to the Octagon at UFC Nashville this Saturday against Gabriel Bonfim. It’s Thompson’s first fight since a brutal knockout loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC 207 last year.

Thompson could potentially hang up the gloves with a loss at UFC Nashville. He’s repeatedly teased retirement in recent years, especially amid his current skid of defeats in four of his last five fights.

Thompson will look to treat UFC fans to at least one more signature moment before he opts to walk away from fighting.