Latest news with #StephenThompson
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Stephen Thompson responds to Muslim Salikhov's 'old guys' callout at UFC on ABC 9
Stephen Thompson is down for a matchup of the oldest active fighters in the welterweight division after being called out at UFC on ABC 9. Following a 42-second upset knockout of Carlos Leal on Saturday's card in Abu Dhabi, Muslim Salikhov called for a showdown against Thompson (17-9-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) in what would be a pairing of two of the division's most decorated strikers. It didn't take long for the 42-year-old "Wonderboy" to respond to the callout from 41-year-old Salikhov (22-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC), and he seemingly obliged immediately (via X): Thompson is coming off a controversial split decision loss to Gabriel Bonfim at UFC on ESPN 70 this month in what was the second-to-last fight on his current UFC contract. Although Thompson admitted in a pre-fight interview with MMA Junkie that he's unsure if he'll be signed to a new deal, a clash with a fighter of similar age and style would be fitting matchmaking.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ABC 9 video: Muslim Salikhov upsets Carlos Leal with brutal one-punch knockout
ABU DHABI – "41 years young!" Muslim Salikhov came up big as an underdog at UFC on ABC 9. Salikhov (22-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) landed a brutal overhand right to take out Carlos Leal (22-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at the 0:42 mark of Round 1 in their welterweight bout Saturday at Etihad Arena. Check out the replay of Salikhov's finish below (via X): Salikhov, who was a 5-1 underdog, has now won three fights in a row. As he planned, he used his mic time to call out Stephen Thompson. Up-to-the-minute UFC on ABC 9 results: Muslim Salikhov def. Carlos Leal via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 0:42 Davey Grant def. Da'Mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Tabatha Ricci def. Amanda Ribas via TKO (elbow) – Round 2, 2:59 Billy Elekana def. Ibo Aslan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Steven Nguyen def. Mohammad Yahya via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00 Martin Buday def. Marcus Buchecha via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Abu Dhabi video: Muslim Salikhov floors Carlos Leal with quick KO
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson on UFC Nashville: 'I did not lose that fight
Stephen Thompson closes out the show after his controversial split decision loss to Gabriel Bonfim in Nashville to break down fighting through his 40s, breaking Randy Couture's record, connecting with Rory MacDonald, running karate camps, and more.
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Stephen Thompson critical of scoring in UFC Nashville loss: 'I didn't lose that fight'
Stephen Thompson thought he had the win in the bag at the end of his fight at UFC on ESPN 70. Stephen Thompson doesn't quite understand how he didn't get his hand raised Saturday. Thompson (17-9-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) lost a split decision to Gabriel Bonfim (18-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 70 in Nashville, Tenn. There were two 29-28's for Bonfim and one for "Wonderboy." This scoring sparked a big reaction and wave of criticism towards the judging, as many thought Thompson had done enough to win the bout. A few days removed from the event, and Thompson recalls feeling the fan frustration in the arena, as the decision was met with boos. "I felt that I did enough to win the fight," Thompson told Ariel Helwani. "Clean strikes, I felt great during my movement, I think I felt I had more damage. The damage was in my favor. Bonfim, tough fighter, hat's off to the guy. But when the crowd, the journalists, and the team are all like this shocked about the decision, I'm like, 'Something is not right.'" Thompson, a 22-fight veteran in the UFC, is 8-6-1 in the UFC when he's gone to decisions. The 42year-old is familiar with both the feeling of defeat and victory, and the reading of the scorecards didn't match the way he felt in Nashville. "I've been in this game for a long time, and I know what it feels to win a fight and I know what it feels like to lose a fight," Thompson said. "I didn't lose that fight. I feel like I didn't lose that fight." The Tennessee Athletic Commission didn't issue any type of statement on the matter. It's rare to see any athletic commission address an officiating controversy. Thompson calls for more accountability, as he would've liked to hear from the people who handed him the defeat. "I lost the fight, but I felt like I won it," Thompson said. "When you've got your family, your team, your friends and family back home, everybody who saw the fight thought I won the fight – it kind of goes back to, what do we do about that? I think there's got to be more accountability with the (judges). I know it's not the UFC's fault. It's the commission's fault. But there's got to be more transparency, for sure, when it comes to the judging of these fights."
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stephen Thompson vows to fight on, aiming to break Randy Couture's mark as the oldest UFC fighter
Stephen Thompson hopes to keep fighting for as long as he can despite a third-straight loss at UFC Nashville. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Stephen Thompson still has plenty left in the tank. This past Saturday at UFC Nashville, "Wonderboy" made his 22nd octagon appearance, competing opposite Gabriel Bonfim in the co-main event. Unfortunately for the 42-year-old, he came up short via a controversial split-decision that the community largely believed he should have won. The bout was the second-to-last on Thompson's current UFC contract, and he hopes to continue his career after his next fight, barring another solid performance. Thompson shared on Tuesday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show" that he ideally wants to break the record for being the oldest fighter to ever compete in the UFC. Advertisement "Depends on how I feel [after the next fight] and how the fight goes," Thompson said of his fighting future. "My goal, obviously, was to beat Randy Couture's record. I think he was like 45, maybe. He might have been 46. I feel amazing, man. I felt great after the fight, besides my foot. I felt great during the fight. I felt faster than he was. Gabriel Bonfim is only 27. I felt phenomenal. "Randy was 47? All right, let's go. That would be amazing. One hundred percent. ... It obviously has to do a lot with what happens in my next fight. I feel like if I go out there and I put on a show, and I get a good finish, why not? Let's keep going. If not, this is something that I want to plan with my family, my team, obviously, plan with the UFC. But let's go out with a bang, man." After a shaky first round against Bonfim, Thompson rallied in the final two, suffering a nasty cut on his shin with the numerous kicks he fired off. The two-time welterweight title challenger has since had the wound stitched up, making it the lesser of his injury woes. Advertisement Thompson revealed that he also broke his foot in the fight. His timetable for returning and completing the last contracted fight is unknown at this early stage, but Thompson feels he has positive momentum, regardless of his official ninth career loss. "I felt that I did enough to win the fight," Thompson said. "Clean strikes, I felt great during my moving, and I think I felt I had more damage — the damage was in my favor. Bonfim, tough fighter, hats off to the guy, but when the crowd, the analysts, and the team are all this shocked about the decision, something's not right. I've been in this game for a long time, and I know what it feels like to win a fight. I know what it's like to lose a fight. I feel like I didn't lose that fight. "I lost the fight, but I felt like I won it. When you got your family, your team, your friends and family back home. Everybody who saw the fight thought I won the fight."
