Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson already has the respect of the mixed martial arts world, but he’d love nothing more than to close out his career with a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.
Thompson, who twice challenged for the undisputed UFC welterweight title in successive appearances at UFC 205 and UFC 209 in 2016 and 2017, didn’t quite manage to get his hands on championship gold, but the 41-year-old still has goals he’d like to accomplish in the sport.
Now firmly in the veteran stage of his MMA career, “Wonderboy’s” title chances are likely to be in the rearview mirror now, but he’s still relishing the buzz of competition, and admitted that he’s enjoying competing without the overarching pressure of having to maintain his place in the championship picture in a crowded 170-pound division.
“I’m fully content in what I’m doing because I’m doing it for myself, not because I want something,” Thompson told RG.org.
“I’m fully content with who I’m fighting and when I’m fighting. I don’t need anything from the UFC.”
Thompson made his first appearance in the UFC back in February 2012 at UFC 143, as he announced his arrival on the big stage with a first-round head-kick knockout of Dan Stittgen.
He’s gone on to make 20 appearances in the UFC in a career that has spanned a dozen years. And, while he’s approaching the final phase of his career, he’s proud of his achievements, and how he’s gone about his career.
And the Simpsonville, South Carolina native said he’d love to round off his career with a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.
“I’ve been with them for a very long time and have done the best I can to represent who I am and the UFC,” he said.
“It would be cool to go down in UFC history. It would be cool to be able to do that, to be in the Hall of Fame. I think that would be sick.”
Thompson’s standing in the UFC’s welterweight division has evolved over the years as he’s taken the journey from hot prospect to title contender to title challenger, and now, aged 41, he admits that many probably view him as a gatekeeper for the division, which is seeing a fresh new crop of talented fighters rising towards the top.
“I’m a veteran of the game,” he admitted.
“I’ve been in the top 10 since 2014, 2015, something like that, maybe even before that. So I’ve been at the top for a long time. I think people are looking at me as that gatekeeper to make it to that top.
“I always look at the positive side of things. So I think it’s pretty cool that people want to fight me because they know that in order to make it to that top, you have to beat ‘Wonderboy,’ which to me is a really cool thing.”
And that respect in Thompson’s position as a longstanding member of the UFC’s welterweight elite extends beyond the Octagon, as he explained.
“It’s cool to be able to walk into a room, and UFC fighters want my autograph because they watched me before they even got into the UFC,” he said.
“I hold pride in that for sure. But people realize that I’m still a danger in that welterweight division. No matter who’s stepping in the cage with me, they know that I’m a dangerous guy.”
And while he’s approaching the end of his career at the top of the sport, “Wonderboy” hinted that, even when he calls time on his MMA career, he may still have some competitive itches to scratch in a different sphere.
“When I put the gloves down in the Octagon, I don’t think that means I’m done for good, maybe just with MMA,” he suggested.
“It’s the wrestling that’s more damaging to my body than anything else. But I feel like I can strike for days. I can kickbox anybody.”
