NASHVILLE – Stephen Thompson has been in martial arts since childhood, and he’s been a professional fighter for two decades.
He’s got the scars to prove it.
“I’ve had four knee surgeries on my left and two on my right, but they don’t really bother me that much,” Thompson (14-3-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) told MMAjunkie prior to his UFC on ESPN+ 6 headliner against Anthony Pettis (21-8 MMA, 8-7 UFC).
Still, there’s only so many miles a body can accumulate before it starts to break down. At 36, it would appear Thompson is closer to the end of his career than the start. But that’s not the way he sees things.
Thompson says just look at “The Daddest Man on the Planet,” UFC heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier.
“It’s not even up there yet,” Thompson said. “I guess I don’t know; I consider myself a young 36-year-old and I’ve got – people are fighting until later ages. (Daniel) Cormier is 39 or 40 and he’s the champ. I look at that as inspiration. I haven’t taken too much damage, so I’ve got a while left in this sport.”
After a decorated kickboxing career, Thompson transitioned to MMA and immediately made waves. And while he’s twice fallen short for the welterweight title, he’s not about to give up.
“I’ll do this as long as my body will let or when coach tells me I’m done,” he said. “I’d like to say I’m in my prime.”
That begs the question: When will his nickname reflect his maturity?
“That’s a good question,” he said. “Everyone is asking when I’m going to change my name to ‘Wonderman,’ but as long as I’m walking out to Tenacious D ‘Wonderboy,’ I’ll be the ‘Wonderboy.'”
For more on the upcoming UFC on ESPN+ 6, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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