South Carolina native Stephen Thompson wanted to headline the card, but won’t be able to do so.
“I can’t wait to get back into the octagon,” said Thompson to the Greenville Online. “But Greenville – I’m not going to be able to do that and I really really wanted to.”
Thompson last competed in the main event of UFC Fight Night Nashville, suffering a second round knockout loss to former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis.
The recently defeated Thompson cites the knockout loss to Pettis as one of the reasons for not fighting in Greenville.
“I want to make sure everything’s right up here,” said Thompson, tapping his head during an interview with Bloody Elbow (via Greenville Online). “This is your livelihood; this is what you do, and if you want to do this for years to come, you have to take care of yourself. You can condition the body, but you can’t condition the brain. You’ve got to take it slow.”
UFC Fight Night Greenville takes place on Saturday, June 22 from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina with Renato Moicano and Chan Sung Jung headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which streams live on ESPN+.
