Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson doesn't wish to fight without his father in his corner much like Khabib Nurmagomedov
UFC welterweight Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson showcased a striking masterclass in his last fight against Geoff Neal. Thompson, now 37 years of age, is not considering retirement and is chasing the dream to become the welterweight king.
However, in a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson revealed that he might abandon his fighting career if his father was not in his corner. While talking about Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement, Thompson shared his views on Nurmagomedov's decision to retire due to the demise of his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
At UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his belt against Justin Gaethje. After the bout, Khabib announced that he will discontinue fighting in the Octagon as he had promised his mother he would not fight in the absence of his late father.
Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson shares this sentiment and stated that if his dad is not able to make the walk to the Octagon by his side, he would retire from the sport altogether. Wonderboy appreciated his father's commitment to his fight camps as he has never missed the chance to be in his son's corner.
“I don’t see myself doing it without him, just like Khabib. I kind of understand, I felt for him when his dad passed, rest in peace. My condolences to him. For him not to be there, I understood that. Because my dad’s been here since the beginning," said Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.
"He’s been in my corner for every fight. He’s never missed one. So when it gets to the point where my dad’s not able to do it, I think that’s gonna be the end of it. I don’t want to be out there without him in the corner because he’s been there for every fight. To be able to do that and experience that with your dad, not a whole lot of people can say they can do that. To be able to look at that and smile is just amazing," Thompson added.
What is next for Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson?
Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson is currently riding a two-fight winning streak. Prior to the fight with Geoff Neal, he defeated Vicente Luque at UFC 244. Wonderboy secured a bonus for both performances as he defeated two promising up-and-comers in spectacular fashion.
After UFC Vegas 17, Stephen Thompson respectfully called out Miami native Jorge Masvidal for a rematch. 'BMF' Jorge Masvidal has also stated that he is interested in a rematch against Thompson. Both fighters are elite strikers and it will be interesting to see if Masvidal will step up his game to beat Wonderboy.
Another interesting possible matchup awaiting Wonderboy is a fight against the winner of Kamzat Chimaev vs Leon Edwards. Wonderboy previously called out Leon Edwards on Twitter for ducking his fight offers.