Stephen Thompson: ‘Smart Call’ for Kevin Holland’s Corner to Throw in Towel - MMA Fighting

Stephen Thompson discusses his win over Kevin Holland at UFC Orlando, the multiple injuries suffered in the fight, the conversations he had with Holland, how much pressure he felt heading into the fight, facing wrestlers, Holland’s corner throwing in the towel, what happened with Jack Black, what’s next, and more.
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[@Teslashock824]

With a broken hand Humble skilled well spoken This guy is a legend Really hope he gets the belt

[@boogyjuggy]

agree

[@saulhernnadez9203]

Bro don’t wanna grapple how is he gonna be champ

[@tiimmy8nathan175]

*proceeds to lose to everyone in the top 5*

[@ThenDarknessFalls]

@@tiimmy8nathan175 Covington, Belal, and Burns, sure because they'll wrestle through the boos. Usman gets rocked by jabs, but if he ignored it, sure. Every round starts on the feet. Edwards would have to wrestle only, but he could beat him if it stuck tp striking heavy engagements. Regardless, there's always someone who hates anyone being happy. Congrats.

[@oldironsides4107]

Legend in the loosest sense of the word. I’m a fan though.

[@zerksari]

He speaks like a master in term of concepts in my opinion. He has reached what most martial artists can only imagine in terms of mindset.

[@somerled5513]

Regardless of him being a genuinely nice guy, his mindset actually seems bulletproof

[@JP_26]

His dad deserves a lot of credit, so does he, obviously, but I feel his dad instilled a lot of this in him, and wonderboy seemed to absorb it all.

[@chadmcclain3462]

Absolutely

[@Dug625]

@@JP_26agree

[@adamnguyen7019]

helps that he teaches the children at upstate karate, he’s had to learn how to break down complicated concepts and techniques to kids.

[@mjpalumberi1]

How can you not like Wonderboy? A badass martial artist and a class act…he will be missed when he’s gone but doesn’t sound like that time is here yet!

[@mtthw741]

Impossible to dislike. I like how open and honest he is about the fight negotiations. Most fighters have too big of an ego.

[@Bei8ze]

Props to Holland for having the guts to keep it on the feet with one of the greatest strikers out there. I couldn't believe how vicious and fast those kicks were. Wonderboy made a clear "y'all must've forgot" statement with that performance and if you can't wrestle him, good luck out-striking him. Tremendous fight and performance. two warriors 💪👏👏👏

[@konstantinkalashnikov8123]

What a fighter 40 year old ! Such a humble and skilled dude. RESPECT !!

[@theironforce3000]

I'm super glad he ended up getting the W. That fight was for the ages, seriously. It should have been for an NMF title belt 😄👊 They were joking and apologizing and just having a major blast in the ring. Love it

[@zerksari]

Heck you made me rewatch it. It's that good. I rarely rewatch fights. This year I have rewatched this fight and the fights with the australian guy what's his name.. You know the one with the nose. Supreme boxing skills.

[@Cucumberdrx]

@@zerksari Alexander Volkanovski?

[@zerksari]

@@Cucumberdrx no I mean Jack Della Maddalena. Search for him, serious prospect and will contend. Must watch 'TV'.

[@Cucumberdrx]

@@zerksari oh okay.

[@senseii9]

This sport moves so damn fast that only now watching this I’ve realised how much I love wonderboy and how much I’m gunna miss him when he’s gone :’(

[@c.miller2691]

Dude same

[@lowlowseesee]

i remember when he first hit the scene. we were blown away.

[@Mightyducks45]

I remember the first time I saw him live vs luque

[@chadmcclain3462]

Word! So very true ☺️👍🏾💯

[@celtic69]

His loss to Tyron was gutting

[@alcottdevalte7440]

Always gotta appreciate when Thompson gets to display his best skills in such a masterclass performance. The UFC needs to be smart and give him good matchups instead of younger grapplers at this stage of his career. During his winning streak before a title shot, he literally beat the best grapplers at that point..

[@thehumanitarian99]

In general I wish the UFC made a few more of these kinda 'showcase' fights, where it's not necessarily an easy fight for them or a hand picked easy match up, but a fight where they should be able to do what they do best.

[@anarchy1090]

Yeah I hate hyping wrestlers up by giving them strikers

[@_KaiRos-11]

Wonderboy needs that year round tan to get more love by the organization

[@thehumanitarian99]

@@_KaiRos-11 ahah just set him up with striking gatekeepers for a year and watch him create the most beautiful highlight reel

[@notjordan7931]

@@thehumanitarian99 go watch Bellator, ufc puts on the best fights from the best competitors in the sports it’s a professional sport, nba teams don’t get to chose who they play, nfl teams don’t get to chose who they play. This is a pro sports and the reason why ufc is where it is

[@_KaiRos-11]

Thompson brings out the best in his competition. One of the very greats!

[@katelyn9182]

It was a pleasure to watch this matchup! Wonderboy is such an excellent representative for this sport and he deserves a ton of respect. His striking is a joy to watch. Can’t wait for his next fight!

[@LincolnClay98]

This was the old school aggressive Wonderboy

[@jermainecotton4406]

So happy for him he really needed this w

[@benmcreynolds8581]

He's sorry in a competitive way. In a good way, yet still driven to push the pace. It's awesome they had that dynamic interactions. They need to have a video series together. They have great chemistry.

[@Xtarsrv]

This Guy deserves more than anyone.. What a performance !! Non stop attack it was from Wonderboy 👍👍

[@DPK99ATown]

The fact that Wonderboy ever had a warrant out for him is hilarious 😂😂

[@IYap4Fun]

Wonderboy had a warrant?? For what? Being too nice?😂😂

[@kissmesillynow]

@@IYap4Fun skinny dipping😂

[@thebarkermc]

Both of those guys were an absolutely class representation of what a martial artist should be. Both showed tremendous respect and heart through the fight.

[@taeyangkang5176]

Love this guy

[@jasonbeaudry489]

I love this fighter. Kind hearted, great martial artist, unfortunate he never got to be champ. Kinda weird when you think he couldn't beat Woodley after Woodley's last fights. It would be awesome if he gets another crack at it. In the meantime, the BMF vs the NMF would be a fun fight!

[@MaestroJericho]

Felt like Holland planned on finishing him within the first round but Wonderboy wouldn't go away and ended up mushing up his liver

[@Wayf4rer]

With a couple well timed wins, Wonderboy could become the champ if Leon is still holding onto the belt.

[@kithong3965]

If you remember the fight I had him winning the Woodley fight until the last round last few minutes and got tko

[@Tenchigumi]

​@@kithong3965 Wonderboy never got KO'd by Woodley. Woodley just managed to rock him late in both fights.

[@dixoncider6786]

@@Wayf4reryep just needs to avoid usman , Covington, khamzat and shavkat rahkmanov lol

[@adventuregames424]

For the first 2.5 rounds this was an amazing fight that I thought could go either way at a moments notice. After that I only expected Holland to get knocked out. I won't say it was the fight of the year but it was definitely one of the funnest fights of the year.

[@merlinoner]

So happy for Wonderboy, it was a very very good fight. Holland was incredible as well.

[@joshsigala53]

I don’t think any of us thought wonderboy was still this good at age 39. Not just good, but possibly his best performance ever. The speed and accuracy was still there even in round 4, crazy.

[@termsofusepolice]

There's a reason WB was a championship kick boxer. Unfortunately, MMA is not kick boxing. If an average striker like Holland chooses to stand with Thompson it's always going to look like a masterclass.

[@MasTiempoPorFa]

It's because it's the first fight of his in a while where he's striking with no threat of the takedown

[@barnowl2832]

He's looked dominant in all his last 5 fights while the fight was standing - Luque, Neal, Burns, Belal, Holland. So I expected him to win if it stayed on the feet, it's just that Burns and even more so Belal were able to hold him down. Burns fight was actually very close tho He should never fight grapplers in the small cage like he did with Burns and Belal tho cause Wonderboy's only real TDD is using his movement which the small cage doesn't allow

[@demetriusorozco6987]

How could you not root for this guy. Humble and super talented. Good W brother.

[@kj-fr9qw]

Thompson is a warrior man. I know he showed his toughness during those Woodley fights but this one was different. Respect

[@timothywoods8880]

I was feeling bad for Kevin because his hand was obviously hurt, but to find out WB’s hand was also broken completely erases that feeling. I had no idea, dude dealt with it like a champ.

[@harshmma1916]

Hollands main weapon is his right though so I wouldn't say it erases it completely mate

[@Daddy_Bear_722]

@@harshmma1916 well it's his fault he hasn't developed other weapons, soo...

[@williammoore4380]

I broke my 4th and 5th mid hand and it is hard for me to understand these guys still throwing punches. I know the tight wraps and gloves helps hold things in place and keep swelling down but throwing punches with a broken hand has GOT to hurt. Mine hurt just moving my arm around.

[@siegfriedgottz698]

@@williammoore4380 adrenaline does crazy things

[@badguyenjoyer]

I mean kevins hand was worse than wonderboys though. Kevin said he broke 4 of his knuckes, and broke his wrist.

[@theguvnor3880]

This performance rolled back the years to Wonderboys rise to title contention.

[@shawnj1679]

I learned when I was a sophomore in high school and was fighting against a Junior and 2 other sophomores never to punch the forehead. The Junior was a hockey player and kept slamming me backwards against a car so I dropped a hammerfist right into his forehead. Instant "Snap!" of my hand. There's actually still a little dent in my hand under where the pinky finger meets the hand about an inch in a half. The forehead is more than a match for the hand and its the 2nd hardest bone in the body. Shoot even when you hit a guy in the cheek bone or anywhere in the skull it hurts later when your adrenaline wears off. Now I'm 48 and definitely way too old for any more of that nonsense. Go get em Wonderboy!!

[@travisdray1221]

One thing Ariel missed about the groin shot thing is that the Ref only upheld his decision to keep the fight going after confirming on the TV that it was a groin shot - you can hear him say that in the audio live.

[@jamesm2631]

In a sport of bullies and hard asses, this is a nice guy who is genuinely a good person, and probably the most successful example of learning a self defense and being successful doing so.

[@anyday82]

You the man wonderboy!! Hosted a bunch of friends and we had a blast beginning to end! Made a lot of new fans that night

[@zlMonsterx]

What a fight night! I have a feeling next week's PPV card is gonna have a difficult time competing with how amazing the whole card was. So happy for Wonderboy being able to watch him show off his striking skills is art.

[@jamieweyer2268]

Wonderboy is a gent. Love hearing him talk. Can't wait to see him again

This guy is a real role model! Great guy! Undislikable!

[@xXMaukiorXx]

It wasn't a corner stoppage. When Holland got to his corner, one of them said "last round buddy, you gotta give it everything you can" and Holland immediately replied "i can't, i can't, it's...(couldn't understand)". Then his corner asked "you want me to stop it?". Then he sat down and said "take this off please". And then they signalled Miragliotta. Wich was the correct decision, he could barely fight back. I felt he could've clinched more to go for elbows or kicks at range, but that's probably not in his instincts and neither a smart idea against Thompson.

[@markdavis8430]

That’s why we still call him wonderboy dude was on fire! Hope KH heals up What a fight guys!

[@taurusfilms.5658]

! That was the best fight I’ve ever seen , much respect to you and massive for the ufc to have you within it thank u !

[@DubzCo]

The most wholesome fight in the history of fighting

[@kwakumystiks1738]

One of his best performance in years

[@thrill_hill]

Wonder boy is a true master of his craft, also a hell of a game plan implemented using the kicks to force a complete deconstruction of the right hand and arm of Holland as he was forced to constantly use it to block.

[@Tenchigumi]

DC mentioned it on the broadcast, but it definitely reminded me of Cung Le vs Frank Shamrock, where Cung similarly broke Shamrock's arm with kicks to force a stoppage.

[@longhairedphreak]

"I'm sorry, man I'm sorry." Wonderboy is an honorary🇨🇦🤗

[@_KaiRos-11]

More corners should throw in the towel for those fights where the guy is just getting destroyed but keeping enough space where the ref don’t stop it

[@Joshua-dw8wu]

I loved all of your skill and fight IQ and the adjustments you made during the fight.

[@NateBmx]

💯 we want Wonderboy in striking matches. His done enough for the company to be given some respect. #NograpplersforWonderboy

[@_KaiRos-11]

Yea I’m with ya but he’s one the very best strykers

[@twm1423]

He should fight Henry cejudo next

[@stevenmishos]

If size wasn't an issue, I'd like to see Thompson vs Adesanya (stylistically).

[@shredenvain7]

One of the best strikers to ever do it! The nicest one to ever do it for sure.

[@walterlippmann9496]

Give this man the right man to fight - the guy is great to watch in the right context.

[@amhawk8742]

Wonderboy was on 🔥 this weekend! He still got that fighter spirit and skills. After an amazing fight like that the UFC should probably give him another striker. Masvidal, Conor & Nick Diaz probably don't want that heat but an up-and-comer like Michael Periera ranked #14 would probably take it since its a great opportunity to move up the rankings as Wonderboy will probably be back into the top 5 once Khamzat officially leaves the division. Another fight of the night win maybe on international fight week in June/July and Wonderboy is back in #1 contender fights.

[@sharamrock2580]

Stephen Thompson, you are 1 of my favorite fighter without any doubt!!!

[@thehighcommunity247]

The Re-Emergence Of WonderBoy!! What an incredible striking sensation this gentlemen is. Y'all threw down!! A lifetime of competition and training has brought WB to this exact moment in time. He inspires me quite a bit. God Bless.

[@Jaikay1]

Just a ridiculously likeable dude.

[@alternativeharvey7]

Awesome interview

[@juandoe1450]

Man that was a good fight respect for both guys

[@thalur2813]

Wonderboy is older than cowboy.. Believe it not 😳

[@mfs353]

thats insane, some good genes man

[@Adontheimperfectionist]

Damn

[@_KaiRos-11]

Cowboy’s been in some wars! Thompson had some great title fights with what’s his name the crybaby rapper who had the belt forever.

[@ozzzyd922]

Bro Thompson went fuggin matrix!!! Fuggggallyoudissers!! Holland is made of steel, much respect to them both. I can guarantee one thing.., they'd knock me the FUGGOUT. Respect

[@jonathanfrench6975]

phenomenal performance by wonderboy he showed that if theres no threat of the takedown his standup is world class

[@jakedalton6236]

The people that wanted Kevin to fight in the 5th are actually super annoying. They would not have the same energy if they were the ones in the cage. And then you claim to be a fan of Kevin after saying that. You are not a fan if you want him to take un necessary damage like that and take years off his career.

[@thehoursguide]

Absolute legend!!!

[@roryking1]

i was so happy for stephen it was a bit shocking that he wasnt the favourite. he only gets beat by people who constantly take him down and make it a snooze fest... apart from tyron who actually stood a little. wonderboy is as tough as anybody and obv the most talented stand up fighter in the division(if not the whole ufc)

[@mbowman240]

39 is the new 25 for wonderboy for sure. Wow, fight of the year

[@DPK99ATown]

Appreciate Wonderboy while he’s still here fighting!

[@chris-o2v9c]

Hands down the best fight I’ve seen!wonder boy is a beast and Those kicks were brutal & hard to watch.Props to holland for lasting as long as he did.He was game but wonder boy was on another level.

[@Fallennova]

Saying no takedowns today made him not worry about it. The threat of the take down changes fights

[@EchoSoundsystem]

Up there with fight of the year!

[@benmcreynolds8581]

It was so AMAZING to see Wonderboy prove how Amazing he is by going thru a war! I loved the sportsmanship between the 2. Kevin is amazing, deserves so much credit for giving us a fight for the history books. (This should prove, We gotta stop allowing people to just hold people down and not do any damage the entire fight. That's the lamest way to technically "win") if they aren't doing damage, don't let the entire fight go like that.

[@derekcarruthers2197]

Train to not get taken down and held down then. If you cant defend it then you dont deserve to win period.

[@vercingetorixavernian8978]

ARIEL: Gift him an updated NMF belt -> Something nice he can be proud to carry around!! He LOVES the NMF title, and takes it seriously…!! It would be a walking promotion for you actually and spread more kindness in the world :D

[@GORILLABREATH1]

THAT WAS THE BEST STRIKING PERFORMANCE IN THE UFC ...EVER !

[@bhbluebird]

Good fight for the fans. Its a lot of fun to watch hook kicks being throwing during a fight.

[@cassidicci4]

Why does everyone say the corner threw in the towel? You can clearly hear KH say “Can you take this off please” referring the glove on his broken hand, prior to the corner signal. Keven called it. Massive respect to both men - extraordinary fight

[@zenmorte2793]

I love this fight, such a feelgood moment

[@dstorm7752]

Actually like to see him get out of actual fighting while he still has his wits about him.

[@bambus_ross]

Respect to both of these warriors. Kevin is a man of his word and a true dog. But my god, Wonderboy was so sharp. Those kicks.

[@cbourne221]

True legend. If Pereira can be champ who’s to say he can’t make another run too

[@thehumanitarian99]

Ok pleaseee explain to me the link between Alex having the title and Wonderboy getting his

[@Notbobby159]

Maybe Glover would make more sense or Bisping

[@alcottdevalte7440]

Thompson should move up to 185.

[@LoylaDemiseem]

@@alcottdevalte7440 too small.

[@thehumanitarian99]

@@alcottdevalte7440 you're joking xD

[@yuy389]

this is the type of fight to run back that was honestly such a even fight

[@Jesus_christ333]

NGL, being at the fight wonderboy definitely gained a ton of fans

[@aisforannihilation1662]

The gift for Holland was a striker, not that WB was going to b an easy win. Both guys had faced guys who just want to lie down on them but really it's a gift for the fans too cuz it's fun to watch strikers strike &they did their time against wrestlers/ grapplers.

[@davemieze9021]

These are grounds to prove the UFC should offer different fight categories, kickboxing, mma, grappling. More champions equal more viewers

[@jenpachi2408]

One fc does something like that right?

[@BOTCHED]

Wonderboy is a legend. Will always be rooting for you!

[@c.miller2691]

Wonderboy is a damn gem 💎 ✨️

[@cobrakaiX]

He’s been doing this for years WITH the fear of takedown. People talking about him like he’s some charity case that can only fight strikers. His last two losses were top 5 high level grapplers. Keep in mind both of them didn’t do much damage or submit him. They laid on top of him the whole fight.

[@UAPReportingCenter]

Gotta love WB!! Legend!

[@richh4430]

How can you not like this guy?

[@RichMaciverPhoto]

I would actually love to see Wonderboy against McGregor or Masvidal - and I think the UFC would be into it!

[@TheNeoSabre0]

There will never be another Wonderboy.

[@nickrobert8095]

So this is how he fights with no fear of a takedown UH-MAZIN!

[@dave93x]

That's the Wonderboy we all want to see. He just doesn't get going most of the time. We all want to see the baseball bat kicks flying and hand combinations. Those kicks were incredible. I wish Waterson would let hers go like that too.

[@juice610]

21:30 "Yeahhhhh" 🤣

[@josephkelley8641]

Like them both a lot (Wonder Boy/Kevin Holland), feel like they both won big-time this past Sat nite. Very inspired by both Warriors.

[@JasonMasterPlumber]

Incredible performance WB!!

[@Ready_Fire_Aim]

Stephen is a weapon. a sharp,smooth shiny won

[@Brucelee-pv6uf]

2:08 fffd 3:48 gfff 14:05 ddree 17:38b ffre 18:43 ddd 21:12 ddd 22:06 ddd

[@patrickhughes4914]

I usually root for the older guy to pull one more victory. But I like them both, and I felt like Holland really needed the win at this point. Oh well. He's got time, and wonderboy was great on Saturday. That might've been my favorite performance from him. So good.

[@gabhandebrun1871]

Wonder boy is a great fighter and such a nice bloke much respect ✊

[@LeeMikez]

First guy that i really want to win a championship before he retire. Next is the diamond. Always classy.

[@estvescalders6597]

22:26 LOL, Stephen "The Ex-Con" Thompson

[@oscarbuglass4746]

Angel of a guy

[@MazdaSpeedBee]

Wonderboy is an amazing man. No fear in showing himself as he is. He has a kind heart, has fun in the sport and most of all he is a man of GOD.

[@MRKYootube]

Masvidal v Wonderboy rematch now, please 🙏

[@rbriggs89]

I had predicted Wonderboy would win, but by decision. I didn’t think he’d be that dominant. Man he moved like he was 10 years younger.

[@tethi007]

Absolute dominance by this man. As long as he's standing 😉

[@randymullins3555]

It's the southern politeness Stephen...charm 🤣

[@Sarahhhhh3]

It was a “reward” for Holland cuz he’s been asking for him for over a yr, it wasn’t disrespectful