When GQ caught up with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, you wouldn’t have been ready inform he was weeks away from his October 5 purchased towards Joaquin Buckley (19-6-0) as a part of a stacked card for UFC 307 in Salt Lake Metropolis. Seated in his household’s Upstate Karate facility in his hometown of Simpsonville, South Carolina, one of many UFC’s most completed strikers and most entertaining fighters was simply hours away from starting his duties as the pinnacle teacher of the youngsters’s karate program.
At 41 years outdated, it’s straightforward to ask why Thompson continues to be getting into the octagon with rivals who’re greater than a decade youthful, when so lots of his friends have known as it a profession. However martial arts have all the time been a fixture in his life. Thompson started coaching on the age of three—his father Ray was a former skilled kickboxer. Remaining in form has by no means been a problem as he’s all the time in an surroundings the place he can practice and nonetheless take classes from the person who taught him every thing he is aware of.
Thompson spoke with GQ about what nonetheless drives him to compete and what is going to dictate when that involves an finish. He additionally talked concerning the early errors he made in attempting to chop weight, and the post-fight meal that may be a reminder of life earlier than the intense lights and large promotions.
GQ: Your final combat was in December. Given the place you’re at in your profession, are coaching camps simpler or are there extra challenges now?
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson: I am a type of MMA fighters who trains year-round. There are loads of guys—particularly on the prime of the sport—that solely practice every time they’ve fights arising. My household runs a martial arts faculty. We have been right here for 41 years and that is an enormous a part of my life. I choose up children after faculty as a result of we’ve an after-school program. Martial arts is unquestionably a life-style for me and my household. It’s fairly straightforward to choose up the coaching as a result of I dwell on the health club.
What’s it going to be prefer to get to combat in entrance of household and mates in Utah?
I am tremendous enthusiastic about it. I owe Utah one as a result of I used to be imagined to combat final summer season towards Michel Pereira. He ended up not making weight. However the man that I am preventing, Joaquin Buckley—he fights at 185. He is not an enormous 185, however he is infamous for making weight. So I haven’t got any worry of this man not making weight. He’s additionally a sort of man—form of like Kevin Holland—as quickly as he steps into that Octagon, he brings it. He is on the market to place you to sleep, which makes for a fantastic combat. I believe it’ll be a type of “combat of the night time,” for positive.
What motivates you to nonetheless step into the Octagon at this level in your profession?
I’ve been in martial arts since I used to be three, been preventing since I used to be 15—kickboxing, and MMA. For the longest time, particularly in my youthful years—it was all the time the title. However I spotted that does not preserve you hungry—Simply having that as your motivation will not all the time preserve you hungry to maintain you within the health club or preserve your thoughts targeted on what must be accomplished on the market within the octagon. So I’ve obtained somewhat mindset swap and adopted in my dad’s footsteps. The objective is clearly the title, however that is not the principle objective. The primary objective is to see how a lot better can I get from my final combat, particularly at my age.
I got here into MMA pretty late in my profession. Now, that I am on the prime, there is a slew of men. All people’s actually good all over the place. The blueprint on the best way to beat me is simply to get me right down to the bottom. So I’ve to remain hungry in the truth that I’ve to proceed to do higher. How good can I get at 41 years outdated, when most individuals retire? So I believe with that mindset swap, that is what retains me hungry. My check to see how good I am getting is to have the ability to combat these up-and-coming studs within the UFC. That’s my yearly examination for coaching. Protecting myself within the health club, persevering with to ask questions, and are available with an empty cup. I believe that thoughts swap has helped me out a ton and with that mindset, success will come.
What do you are feeling are among the key components which have helped you continue to have the ability to compete with these up-and-coming fighters?
My dad is my major coach. I name him Papa Ridegand. He fought again within the 70s and 80s. He is educated loads of world-champion kickboxers and loads of MMA fighters. There are loads of father-son duos on the market that did not actually make it as a result of they’d loads of head-butting happening. We all know the best way to separate the father-son, student-coach relationship. I am not saying we do not butt heads, however on the finish of the day, this man has been there longer than I’ve, and he is educated the very best of the very best. All I can do is hear.
He is aware of the best way to practice fighters, to have the ability to proceed to coach and proceed to combat later of their years. You may all the time situation the physique, however you may’t situation the mind. So we’re all the time holding it gentle. Now we have a gaggle of men that depart their ego on the door and we’ll are available and we assist one another practice. It’s a must to take heed to your physique at this age, too. I spend extra time with bodily and therapeutic massage remedy—letting it heal up. If I get up and really feel like I am worn down, I do not practice, however I’ll are available and do issues that are not as intense. My coach is aware of me higher than I do know myself. So if he sees that I am getting fatigued, he’ll have me again off. I believe my fashion as properly. There’s loads of guys within the UFC who combat like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, however there’s solely a lot your mind and your physique can take. Although I am within the combat sport, I do not like getting hit. That’s somewhat simpler stated than accomplished. However I believe with my karate fashion and background, the way in which that I will evade the strikes—particularly the heavy blows—I believe it is helped my longevity as properly.
What’s the impression you’ve felt martial arts have had in your life exterior of the fight facet?
Man, I believe it’s made me not simply the martial artist that I’m right this moment, however simply being a very good human being. That is one thing that I attempt to give again to the children that I educate. It’s a life-style, and this is likely one of the the explanation why we’ve so many children at our facility. Now we have grandkids of fogeys which were via us. Yeah, it is a good exercise and an effective way to shed weight, nevertheless it’s the character-building facet that I believe has helped loads of human beings all over the world.
