Stephen Thompson: UFC 225 Interim Title Fight Diminishes Value Of Belt

Ahead of his fight with Darren Till this week, UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson does not believe Rafael Dos Anjos and Colby Covington should be fighting for the interim title next month.

Thompson (14-2-1) will face Till (16-0-1) in the main event of the UFC's first-ever show in Liverpool, England, on May 27 in what will be a pivotal welterweight encounter that could have heavy implications on the state of the division.

But despite himself being ranked No. 1 in the rankings, Thompson will instead have to see one of Dos Anjos or Covington win the interim welterweight title when they both face off at UFC 225 in Chicago, Illinois, next month with the winner expected to challenge current champion Tyron Woodley.

"Wonderboy" already fought Woodley for the belt twice in very close encounters that first resulted in a draw, and then a majority decision win for the latter, making a third encounter highly unlikely at this point.

Thompson would later bounce back with an impressive unanimous decision win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 217 in November but his performance wasn't enough to warrant a No. 1 contender's bout as he feels Dos Anjos and Covington should not be getting a belt just to face Woodley who is expected to be back in action in a few months as he recovers from shoulder surgery.

"I don't think so at all," Thompson said if Dos Anjos and Covington should be fighting for interim gold. "If [Woodley]'s out for another year or two, then probably yeah, I think you should. But if he's saying he's gonna be back in July or August, there's no reason why you should be fighting for an interim title."

"It almost diminishes the value of the title, because they're just throwing it out there — it's like, 'You can fight for an interim title, sure.' I don’t think they should be fighting for an interim title. If [Woodley] says he'll be back in July or August, then just say, 'Hey, the winner of this will fight for the title.' I don’t know what the UFC is playing at or what their thinking is when it comes to the interim title. But they're just like, 'You can fight for it anytime. Anybody can fight for an interim title.'"

Thompson, however, understands why he is not getting a chance to be the No. 1 contender and will instead face someone lower in the rankings in seventh-ranked Till. In a simpler word, politics is the reason.

"I think it's just politics," Thompson explained. "I think that they are trying to make that market out there (in Liverpool). And he's [Till] calling me out, so why not make that happen? I fought for the title twice, and I guess they don't want to see it again until I prove myself again. I think that's just what the UFC is thinking."

Thompson still believes he will get a title shot soon though, especially if the newly-crowned interim champion goes on to beat Woodley. However, if "The Chosen One" retains, the South Carolina native acknowledges he may need a few more fights.

"It all comes down to this fight, whoever wins between Colby Covington and RDA and Tyron," he added.