The final UFC card of 2024 heads to Florida in just a few hours, with welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley taking on Colby “Chaos” Covington in the evening's main event.
It's been a banner year for 'New Mansa', who scored a brutal third-round knockout against Stephen Thompson at UFC 307 a few weeks ago. Ahead of the 2024 final event, 'Wonderboy' has finally responded to the KO.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson relives his knockout loss to Joaquin Buckley
“This is the first time I'm going to watch the fight since we fought,” Thompson stated via his official YouTube channel, with the normally soft-spoken veteran even admitting that the loss pushed him to shake things up.
“I haven't gone back and looked at it, I haven't looked at it, I try not to think about it – it's one of those things, every time I think about it I just cuss, man, I know I don't curse, but you have to curse a little.
The breakdown offers UFC fans a fascinating insight into what's going through fighters' minds, with Thompson frequently pausing the video to share details on everything from technique to positioning.
“You'll notice throughout this fight that Joaquin would use this high guard shield; While covering himself, he threw the right hand behind it… Hide that big bomb.”
And that's exactly how the fight ultimately ended, as Joaquin Buckley pressured Thompson against the cage before jumping in with a perfect right hook in the third.
“Oh man, it's two minutes and 50… Ah man. That's it! Dude…Are you kidding me?!
👏Stephen “Wonderboy Thompson revisits and reacts to his KO loss to Joaquin Buckley:
“Smokes me… I hate it, but at the same time you can't do that because other people have been on the end of my highlight reel and now I'm on Joaquin Buckley's highlight reel…
Hats off to my husband… pic.twitter.com/KdstwoHKdJ
– House of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 14, 2024
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“I had to watch this in slow motion, dude… I never really knew where it happened in that third round. He waves and boom, golly… Smokes me! He almost hits me with a nock hand, dude, everything he had in that punch, right on the jaw.
While Thompson abhors the image of being left on the canvas, he also acknowledged that this is just the nature of the sport: Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail.
“I hate it, but at the same time you can't do that – because other people have been on the end of my highlight reel and now I'm on Joaquin Buckley's highlight reel.
“Hats off to my man Buckley, well done, go out there and kick some Colby Covington. Damn man, it's been a while [a few months] since October and I still can't stand it man.
Conor McGregor offered career advice to Stephen Thompson after KO loss
In the wake of that shocking KO loss, Thompson received a flood of messages from fans and fighters showing their support for the UFC icon – including from Conor McGregor.
“My brother Stephen, stand where you are!” McGregor raged in a now-deleted tweet.
“You are more accurate, faster, more skilled, quicker eye. Stand your ground and fire! Jump back for what? What are we hitting back for?
“Let them hurt first, then you can jump and dance around. But hurt them first. Get up and fire rockets! You have an incredible series! Stand tall and trust yourself! Rest up brother! Bad luck there!”
In a separate post, which was also quickly deleted, McGregor labeled Thompson “one of the best to ever step foot in that Octagon,” before stating that the 41-year-old still has what it takes to “handle people against to keep. ”
Thompson himself concluded his UFC 307 re-watch by noting that “you can't dwell on the past” as he looks to bounce back from the 2025 KO.
“You've got to keep moving forward – the next time I step out there, I'll be better, I'll be faster, I'll be better, and you'll all see a better Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.”
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