Thompson made a statement after defeat by Rakhmonov

A week after suffering an early defeat in his bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov, former UFC welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson thanked fans for their support and also revealed what caused his lackluster performance.

“I appreciate your support after the fight last Saturday,” said the American in a video posted on his Youtube channel. “Obviously it didn’t go the way I wanted it to and that’s why you guys should always follow the plan. It was my mistake.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t follow the plan for a fight – you get choked out in the second round. In fact, I came out of the fight almost unscathed except for the fact that I broke my leg when I tried to punch the body and got hit in the elbow. Don’t hit your opponent in the elbow because it totally sucks.”

“Anyway, I love you all and I will come back stronger and better than ever. I need to and heal my leg, do some work on my mistakes, and I’ll be back in the saddle again.”

The welterweight bout between Stephen Thompson and Shavkat Rakhmonov, which was the third event of UFC 296, ended four seconds before the end of the second round with a rear-naked choke defeat for the American.

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