Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson knew he had a fight on his hands in the UFC Orlando main event, but it was probably the first time he actually shared a conversation with his opponent mid-fight.
Facing Kevin Holland, the UFC champion twice over, Holland was able to barely throw his first few combinations and they began talking while trying to get an emphatic knockout.
According to Thompson, he and Holland agreed they would engage in a striking battle, and each lived up to that promise — at least during the early part of the fight.
“It was a kind of one those unwritten rules that we had going into the fight,” Thompson said at UFC Orlando’s post-fight press conference. He had an injury to his hand while he was filming, so I know he dropped me in round one. But he allowed me to get up again.
“He said to me during the first round that he wasn’t going down. This was a handshake. Nobody was going down .”
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That changed after Thompson really started teeing off on Holland, including several spin kicks that blasted the Contender Series veteran, who simply refused to go down.
” At the end, Thompson started shooting [for takedowns],. I was shocked to hear that Thompson had said this. “And he was like, ‘I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do.'”
As the fight progressed past the first round Thompson began to connect. He threw lightning fast combinations as well as a barrage punches, kicks, and combos that caught Holland by surprise.
While Holland displayed unbelievable durability as he absorbed Thompson’s best strikes, he actually asked if perhaps the 39-year-old veteran might consider taking his finger off the fast-forward button.
When Thompson inevitably hit Holland anyways, he immediately issued an apology.
“He was telling me to slow down, and I was telling him I’m sorry the entire time,” Thompson revealed. He was hilarious.” He’s hilarious.”
In a moment that seemingly escaped referee Dan Miragliotta, who never paused the contest due to an accidental clash of heads, Thompson said Holland took it upon himself to stop what he was doing to ensure both of them were OK.
” When we went head-butting, he said, “Oh man! I’m sorry!” and I replied, “No, Thompson, it’s okay, continue fighting, keep fighting!” We had some great conversations there.
” Without him, we wouldn’t be able to put on such a great show. I appreciate Kevin.”
The fight was stopped by Holland’s coaches at the end the fourth round. Wonderboy won. After consecutive defeats to Gilbert Burns, and Belal Mohammed in previous bouts, Thompson’s performance brought him back on track.
As far as what’s next, Thompson didn’t name anybody that he was seeking for a fight, although he definitely likes the idea of matching himself against another opponent with a similar discipline to Holland.
“If you guys want more fights like that, give me a striker,” Thompson said. Give me a striker. “Give me a striker.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/12/4/23492292/stephen-wonderboy-thompson-reveals-what-kevin-holland-said-to-him-during-ufc-orlando-main-event?rand=96749
