Stephen Thompson (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson may be on the wrong side of 40, but that’s not stopping the UFC from matching him up against the toughest possible challengers.
Still firmly in the welterweight contender mix, Thompson’s last outing was a late 2023 loss against Shavkat Rakhmonov — the man many believe to be the next to challenge for gold at 170 pounds. He’ll likely be a favorite when he does.
Thompson’s next opponent is no different: Joaquin Buckley, a red-hot knockout artist riding a four-fight winning streak and eager to take Thompson’s spot as a top-10 welterweight. Buckley brings an explosive athleticism to the cage that Thompson hasn’t seen in several fights. He also has perhaps the greatest knockout in UFC history under his belt — a jump-spinning back kick that put down Impa Kasanganay in 2020 and broke the internet.
“The guy is just an athlete,” Thompson told RG. “He’s mostly known as kind of a brawler type. For him to pull that [kick] off was just crazy, and I think that’s why it worked, because nobody — even his opponent — didn’t expect that, didn’t think he was capable of something like that, which is why it worked so well. To be able to face off against Joaquin Buckley, it’s awesome.”
In recent years, Thompson’s opponents have found success against the South Carolina kickboxer by dragging him to the canvas with suffocating wrestling. It’s something Thompson said he’s come to expect, but perhaps not against his next foe in Buckley.
“I think this is a great one for the fans,” Thompson said. “The guy always comes to party, man. He comes to fight. He’s not the type of guy that’s just gonna lay on you. He wants to scrap. I think with a good dancing partner like him, we’re gonna put on a show that could definitely be Fight of the Night for sure.”
The bout will appear on the prelims of UFC 307 on Oct. 5, a card headlined by a Light Heavyweight championship between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree. The event takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah, a setting that’s become somewhat infamous to fighters because of its high elevation, known to tax their stamina.
Should cardio come into play, Thompson believes he’ll have the advantage.
“He’s a very bulky guy. I wonder if he’s going to fatigue a little bit, because usually the more muscular guys tire out,” Thompson said. “I would love for this to be a five-round fight.”
Thompson’s status as a perennial contender has made him a popular target for callouts. But whereas most of Thompson’s hopeful opponents-to-be try to get his attention in the cage or on social media, “Wonderboy” said that Buckley approached him in person to make the fight.
Thompson would end up signing the contract months later after the interaction. He recalled the banter between him, Buckley and their common opponent in Holland. Thompson beat Holland in 2022; two years earlier, Holland knocked out Buckley.
“It was funny, Kevin Holland was kind of poking at Joaquin Buckley, calling him son,” Thompson recalled. “‘Yo son, you gotta talk to your daddy, son.’ Because Kevin Holland knocked him out. So then Kevin Holland ran up to me and was like ‘Yo Grandpa.’ I said ‘Grandpa?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, you beat me and I beat him, so you’re grandpa.’”
