Stephen Thompson suffered a severe shin injury during a split decision loss to Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Nashville, requiring stitches, and he has one fight left on his current contract which may determine his future in the sport.
Stephen Thompson didn’t dive into the controversial judging at UFC Nashville’s co-main event. However, the shin injury he sustained turned out to be nastier than anyone expected.
Thompson lost by split decision to Gabriel Bonfim at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena. In round two, Bonfim checked a leg kick from “Wonderboy,” splitting Thompson’s shin wide open. The wound bled throughout the fight.
Despite the injury, Thompson managed to hurt Bonfim with a head kick using the same shin. Yet, he couldn’t finish the job.
After the bout, Thompson tweeted that his shin was “split to the bone,” needing stitches. Ouch.
“Nashville, you are amazing! To my fans, I love y’all!!” Thompson expressed on Twitter. He also thanked his father and team for their unwavering support.
“Well, got to get back, heal my shin up, maybe do some more shin conditioning, but love you guys,” he added in a video message. Keep pushing, Wonderboy.
At 42, Thompson remains the oldest fighter on the roster. Despite a three-fight skid, he delivered a challenging match against Joaquin Buckley at UFC 307 in October, though he was stopped in the third round.
Before that, Thompson was submitted by the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov. Tough luck, but still kicking.
In a chat with MMA Fighting, Thompson shared that he has one fight left on his current contract. This final bout will determine if he continues in the octagon. Stay tuned.