Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson wowed the MMA world with a TKO destruction of former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks during the first round of their UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas. In recent times the UFC welterweight title picture has been a highlight of the promotion with a continuous stream of classic championship bouts following on from Georges St-pierre’s final defense of the crown versus Hendricks back in 2013. During the reign of Hendricks, and now with current champion Robbie Lawler, each and every championship bout has produced a thrilling war between the protagonists who would at times throw caution to the wind in back-and-forth epics. However, Stephen Thompson re-introduced fans to an evasive yet powerful striking style, inspired by points based competition, that ultimately baffled the former champion. Thompson served up a clinical display as the kickboxing and karate specialist dismantled his opponent with unshackled movement that avoided damage whilst hitting back with piercing shots. Thompson discussed his mindset for damage avoidance recently on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. ‘Wonderboy’ stated: “You’ve got to be stupid to actually stand there and trade blows with somebody as powerful as those guys. Who likes to get hit? Those guys (Hendricks and Lawler) seem like they love to get hit. “I want to have my head and my mind sharp after my fighting career. To go out there and bang with somebody like that is just too much of a risk. That’s just not my style. That’s not what I like to do. I love the point game and being able to hit you without getting hit back. Just to see you break from that and frustrate you, that’s my game.” In a recent interview with IMMAF.org, SBG coach and President of the IAPA, John Kavanagh, discussed his advocacy for light, low impact impact training in preparing UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor. Speaking with Sherdog radio, Thompson mirrored Kavanagh’s attitude with a view for protecting his longevity and health in later life. The 33-year-old continued: “I’m gonna do [MMA] as long as my body’s gonna let me. I’ve had a few knee surgeries, but my knees are feeling great and each camp I’m getting better and better. I’m just improving,” he said. “As of right now, it’s feeling great. I don’t feel 33; I feel like I’m 21. I think it’s just a mindset, to be honest with you. I train smart. I’ve got good guys to spar with, guys that are gonna push you but are also not going to try something stupid out there to injure you. “That’s a lot of these gyms where they go out there and try to beat the crap out of each other. I’ve been to some gyms where they’re wearing the UFC MMA gloves going all out knocking each other out, and that’s just ridiculous,” he said. “It’s why a lot of these guys are young and they don’t have any chins anymore. They’re career is gone because they’ve beaten the crap out of each other. You cannot condition the brain.” For the full interview with Stephen Thompson visit Sherdog.com.]]>
