VIDEO: Close-up look at 'Wonderboy' Stephen Thompson getting stitches for nasty cuts suffered at UFC Orlando (GRAPHIC WARNING)
Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland delivered a potential Fight of the Year contender at the UFC Orlando headliner. While Thompson walked away with a fourth-round TKO win, it was undoubtedly a tough night at the office for 'Wonderboy'.
Although Holland probably took the most damage and even suffered a broken hand, Thompson did not go unscathed. The welterweight veteran needed multiple stitches for the gaping cut between his eyebrows and another slightly smaller cut on his left eyebrow. ESPN re-shared the video of 'Wonderboy' getting stitched up, which was originally shared by his close friend and teammate Chris Weidman.
Watch a close-up of Stephen Thompson getting stitched below (GRAPHIC WARNING):
Thompson's victory over Holland marked a comeback from back-to-back decision losses against seasoned grapplers. While he is yet to prove himself against a grappler, 'Wonderboy' noted that he never failed to deliver in a stand-up fight. Thompson's win over 'Trailblazer' easily won the 'Fight of the Night' at UFC Orlando, making it three bonuses for 'Wonderboy' in his last three victories. The 39-year-old said while getting his injuries examined:
"I told everybody, they keep giving me these grapplers but every time I do a stand-up fight, we get 'Fight of the Night.'"
Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland seemingly agreed to a no-wrestling clash
Like Stephen Thompson, Kevin Holland's wrestling was exposed in his losses to Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori last year. Coming off yet another loss against a skilled grappler in Khamzat Chimaev in his most recent outing, Holland seemingly shook hands with 'Wonderboy' on a no-wrestling pact.
Thompson claimed that 'Trailblazer' let him back up to his feet after a slip in the opening frame, simultaneously promising to avoid grappling. However, Holland went back on his word, making several desperate takedown attempts in the closing minutes of the fight. Speaking about their mid-fight pact, Thompson said at the post-fight presser:
"He told me in the first round, he's like, 'Hey I'm not taking you down.' And I'm like, 'Alright, man. Sounds good to me.' So yeah, it was kinda one of those handshakes we had in the first round, nobody's gonna go down...At the very end, he started to shoot and I was like, 'Hey, I thought you weren't gonna shoot, man.' And he's like, 'I gotta do what I gotta do.'"
Watch Stephen Thompson's comments below:
#UFCOrlandoStephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson reveals some of the mid-fight chatter with Kevin Holland 😁 #UFCOrlando
"It was fun. He's hilarious." https://t.co/TUcbHuFSCk