Thompson waiting for UFC 291 pay, won't fight Pereira
Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson said Monday afternoon that he still hadn't been compensated for his canceled UFC 291 fight.
"Things are still in talks," Thompson said on "The MMA Hour."
"I think they're waiting for (UFC president) Dana White to come back from his vacation, and we'll go from there. But at this point, nothing."
Thompson completed his pre-fight duties last week in Salt Lake City and made weight for a scheduled bout against Michel Pereira. However, Pereira missed weight by three pounds, and Thompson ultimately turned down the fight.
Thompson said he thinks he'll receive compensation from the UFC and would be "disappointed" if he doesn't. The former title challenger added that it should be standard for fighters to get paid in a situation like his.
"I've done everything that I'm supposed to do," Thompson said.
He added: "It would just really stink if (I don't get paid). But me being the positive guy that I am, I feel like they're going to do right by me."
Thompson explained Friday it was in his best interest not to face Pereira considering he lost to Darren Till in 2018 after Till missed weight. Thompson said fighters who miss weight get to compete with "a significant competitive advantage" and don't face enough consequences. Usually, fighters who miss weight forfeit 20-30% of their purse.
The 40-year-old said Monday that he won't fight Pereira in the future.
"I already gave him the opportunity," Thompson said. "And now you show me that you don't deserve it.
"There are other guys out there who are more deserving: (Jack Della Maddalena), you got Ian Garry. A lot of these guys that are coming up are more deserving than (Pereira). These guys make weight."
Thompson added that he'll only square off with fighters who make weight from here on out.
"I'm in a situation now, a place in my career where I want to fight fairly," Thompson said. "I don't want to play any games. I've been here in the UFC for 11 years. I've been fighting for a very long time. And I don't want to play any games anymore. I want these guys to take it seriously, I want these guys to do it honorably, to show integrity and professionalism. That's what the sport is about."
Thompson also said he wants to return to the Octagon at UFC 295, the blockbuster Madison Square Garden event scheduled for Nov. 11 in New York.