Stephen Thompson is back in the win column.
Thompson was returning to the Octagon for the first time in nearly a year as he was taking on Kevin Holland in the main event of UFC Orlando. It was a fight that ‘Wonderboy’ wanted as he had called for a scrap with a striker after being outwrestled by grapplers in his last two fights.
With the UFC giving him his wish, Thompson delivered a very fun and entertaining fight that also saw barely any wrestling which he says was an unwritten rule between the two.
Kevin Holland will need surgery after breaking bones in his right hand Saturday night against Stephen Thompson, Holland’s manager Oren Hodak told @marcraimondi. pic.twitter.com/lveIlkoiLo
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 4, 2022
Stephen Thompson On His Incredible Stand Up War
“It was kind of one of those unwritten rules that we had going into this fight,” Thompson at the post-fight press conference. “I know later on in rounds he was shooting, I know he had a busted hand, but I think I fell down in the first round and he let me back up. He told me in the first round, he’s like, ‘Hey, I’m not taking you down.’ I’m like, ‘All right, man. Sounds good to me.’”
During the fight, however, Thompson had injured his hand – which he believes he broke – yet he overcame that to earn a TKO win as Holland’s corner stopped the fight before the fifth round.
The win put Stephen Thompson back in the title picture at welterweight but he says he is still hoping to fight another striker next. He knows the top of the division is mostly wrestlers but he would like the chance to face another striker and put on entertaining fights.
“If you guys want more fights like that, give me a striker, baby,” Thompson said. “Give me a striker. Of course, I’m always looking for the title and that’s always at the top of the list, but why not have some fun fights on the way?”
With the win, Stephen Thompson is now 17-6-1 and even though he’s set to turn 40 in February he believes he still has a few more fights left in him.
