When GQ caught up with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, you wouldn’t have been ready inform he was weeks away from his October 5 purchased towards Joaquin Buckley (19-6-0) as a part of a stacked card for UFC 307 in Salt Lake Metropolis. Seated in his household’s Upstate Karate facility in his hometown of Simpsonville, South Carolina, one of many UFC’s most completed strikers and most entertaining fighters was simply hours away from starting his duties as the pinnacle teacher of the youngsters’s karate program.
At 41 years outdated, it’s simple to ask why Thompson continues to be getting into the octagon with rivals who’re greater than a decade youthful, when so lots of his friends have referred to as it a profession. However martial arts have all the time been a fixture in his life. Thompson started coaching on the age of three—his father Ray was a former skilled kickboxer. Remaining in form has by no means been a difficulty as he’s all the time in an setting the place he can prepare and nonetheless take classes from the person who taught him every little thing he is aware of.
Thompson spoke with GQ about what nonetheless drives him to compete and what is going to dictate when that involves an finish. He additionally talked concerning the early errors he made in attempting to chop weight, and the post-fight meal that may be a reminder of life earlier than the brilliant lights and massive promotions.
GQ: Your final struggle was in December. Given the place you’re at in your profession, are coaching camps simpler or are there extra challenges now?
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson: I am a kind of MMA fighters who trains year-round. There are loads of guys—particularly on the prime of the sport—that solely prepare each time they’ve fights developing. My household runs a martial arts college. We have been right here for 41 years and that is a giant a part of my life. I decide up children after college as a result of we now have an after-school program. Martial arts is certainly a way of life for me and my household. It’s fairly simple to choose up the coaching as a result of I stay on the health club.
What’s it going to be prefer to get to struggle in entrance of household and associates in Utah?
I am tremendous enthusiastic about it. I owe Utah one as a result of I used to be imagined to struggle final summer season towards Michel Pereira. He ended up not making weight. However the man that I am preventing, Joaquin Buckley—he fights at 185. He isn’t a giant 185, however he is infamous for making weight. So I haven’t got any concern of this man not making weight. He’s additionally a kind of man—form of like Kevin Holland—as quickly as he steps into that Octagon, he brings it. He is on the market to place you to sleep, which makes for an incredible struggle. I feel it is going to be a kind of “struggle of the night time,” for certain.
What motivates you to nonetheless step into the Octagon at this level in your profession?
I’ve been in martial arts since I used to be three, been preventing since I used to be 15—kickboxing, and MMA. For the longest time, particularly in my youthful years—it was all the time the title. However I noticed that does not hold you hungry—Simply having that as your motivation will not all the time hold you hungry to maintain you within the health club or hold your thoughts targeted on what must be executed on the market within the octagon. So I’ve bought a bit of mindset swap and adopted in my dad’s footsteps. The purpose is clearly the title, however that is not the principle purpose. The primary purpose is to see how a lot better can I get from my final struggle, particularly at my age.
I got here into MMA pretty late in my profession. Now, that I am on the prime, there is a slew of men. All people’s actually good in all places. The blueprint on the best way to beat me is simply to get me right down to the bottom. So I’ve to remain hungry in the truth that I’ve to proceed to do higher. How good can I get at 41 years outdated, when most individuals retire? So I feel with that mindset swap, that is what retains me hungry. My check to see how good I am getting is to have the ability to struggle these up-and-coming studs within the UFC. That’s my yearly examination for coaching. Holding myself within the health club, persevering with to ask questions, and are available in with an empty cup. I feel that thoughts swap has helped me out a ton and with that mindset, success will come.
What do you are feeling are among the key components which have helped you continue to have the ability to compete with these up-and-coming fighters?
My dad is my important coach. I name him Papa Ridegand. He fought again within the 70s and 80s. He is skilled loads of world-champion kickboxers and loads of MMA fighters. There are loads of father-son duos on the market that did not actually make it as a result of that they had loads of head-butting occurring. We all know the best way to separate the father-son, student-coach relationship. I am not saying we do not butt heads, however on the finish of the day, this man has been there longer than I’ve, and he is skilled the perfect of the perfect. All I can do is pay attention.
He is aware of the best way to prepare fighters, to have the ability to proceed to coach and proceed to struggle later of their years. You possibly can all the time situation the physique, however you’ll be able to’t situation the mind. So we’re all the time retaining it mild. We’ve got a bunch of men that depart their ego on the door and we’ll are available in and we assist one another prepare. You need to take heed to your physique at this age, too. I spend extra time with bodily and therapeutic massage remedy—letting it heal up. If I get up and really feel like I am worn down, I do not prepare, however I’ll are available in and do issues that are not as intense. My coach is aware of me higher than I do know myself. So if he sees that I am getting fatigued, he’ll have me again off. I feel my type as nicely. There’s loads of guys within the UFC who struggle like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, however there’s solely a lot your mind and your physique can take. Although I am within the struggle recreation, I do not like getting hit. That’s a bit of simpler mentioned than executed. However I feel with my karate type and background, the best way that I can evade the strikes—particularly the heavy blows—I feel it is helped my longevity as nicely.
What’s the impression you’ve felt martial arts have had in your life outdoors of the fight side?
Man, I feel it’s made me not simply the martial artist that I’m at present, however simply being human being. That is one thing that I attempt to give again to the youngsters that I train. It’s a way of life, and this is among the the explanation why we now have so many children at our facility. We’ve got grandkids of fogeys which were via us. Yeah, it is a good exercise and a good way to drop pounds, however it’s the character-building side that I feel has helped loads of human beings world wide.
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