Athletes
Stephen Thompson: ‘I’m Not Slowing Down’
At 40 Years Old, Stephen Thompson Wants To Prove He’s Still On Top Of His Game Against Undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington In Las Vegas
At 40 years old, Stephen Thomspon is still one of the best 170-pound fighters on the planet.
Currently ranked No. 6 in the UFC’s welterweight rankings, the former title challenger has stayed just a few consecutive wins away from another chance at fight for the title ever since his rematch with Tyron Woodley at UFC 209.
After suffering a few defeats to elite grapplers in Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad, “Wonderboy” turned back time in his Fight of the Night TKO victory against Kevin Holland in December of last year.
Order UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington
Entering 2023, Thompson hoped he could string together a few wins and be close to fighting for the welterweight title by year’s end. Unfortunately for Thompson, 2023 didn’t quite go as planned. Originally scheduled to fight Michel Pereira in April, the fight would be postponed until July.
Stephen Thompson Recalls His UFC Debut
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Stephen Thompson Recalls His UFC Debut
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The small silver lining was they’d now be competing in Salt Lake City, Utah, in front of Thomspon’s friends and family. At weigh-ins, Pereira weighed in three pounds over the welterweight limit, causing the fight to be removed from the card.
The UFC eventually abandoned that matchup, eventually offering “Wonderboy” the perfect opportunity to prove to the matchmakers that he’s ready for his third shot at a UFC title: a fight against No. 5-ranked Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington in Las Vegas.
MORE UFC 296: Countdown | Fight Card Preview | Main Event Breakdown | Covington In His Own Words | Colby Rates Fellow Welterweights | MMA Coaches Break Down Main Event
“I didn’t get to fight in Utah, I had a lot of friends and family there to support me and they didn’t get to watch me fight,” Thompson said. “It all turned out positively. I’m fighting the No. 5 ranked guy in the division in Shavkat, so I’m looking forward to that.”
“I wanted somebody ranked in the Top 5. Everybody that I’ve been fighting has been below me [in the rankings], so fighting Shavkat is awesome. Everybody’s saying he’s the next guy to win the title, so what a better guy to face than this guy to prove to everybody I can still make it to the title.”
Rakhmonov holds a perfect 16-0 record, picking up five wins since he made his UFC debut in 2020. In his handful of Octagon appearances, Rakhmonov’s collected four submission wins and a first-round knockout.
Thomspon made sure to do his homework, though. During his fight week interview with UFC.com, “Wonderboy” detailed all of the reasons Rakhmonov’s been able to stay unbeaten in his nine-year professional mixed martial arts career:
“He’s good everywhere,” Thompson said of Rakhmonov. “He reminds me of Rory MacDonald, good striking, good grappling, good wrestling. He’s the whole package. I came from an era where there were still specialists; I’ve faced guys like him before. I know he’s going to be very tough, and I’ve prepared myself for that. I don’t go out there looking for the knockout. If it happens, it happens, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I just visualize my hand being raised at the end of the fight.
“He keeps himself very calm out there. He’s very calculative out there in the fight. He sees his openings and he takes advantage of them. He’s watching every movement his opponent makes and he’s adjusting. It’s a chess match for him, which makes it fun.”
Like chess, Thompson said one of the biggest difference makers when he steps in the Octagon is to pick up on his opponent’s strategy and change game plans on the fly. “Wonderboy,” who said himself that he comes from an era of MMA where there were specialists, meaning a fighter was dominant at primarily one discipline, believes his striking is so special that it will still cause issues for current-day fighters that are so well-rounded.
“Everybody that I face is worried about [my style] because I’m such a puzzle,” Thompson said. “With the angles, the different varieties of techniques, the switching sides, [them] not knowing my speed, and I try to mix it up. I think it’s a very frustrating style, and you don’t really know unless you’ve been out there with somebody with my style. He’s got to be on point every step of the way with me.”
Not only does his own skill and recent success provide enough motivation to continue trying to capture UFC gold, but Thompson also draws inspiration from former champion Glover Teixeira, who became the oldest first-time champion in UFC history when he defeated Jan Błachowicz in October 2021.
“It goes to show that, number one, I can still be 40 years old and on top of the game,” Thompson said. “I’ve been in the Top 10 for a very long time and my goal is to stay there to get the title. I’m not slowing down. I can still go out there and prove to the UFC and to fans that I can still fight for the title and win the title.
“Everything is leading up to this moment right now. Now is the time for me to go out there and prove to the UFC and the world that I deserve that title shot. I put many hard years of work into this and I know that I’m the better of the two. Knowing that, not thinking it, makes all the difference in the world.”
UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 16, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
