Former UFC title challenger Stephen Thompson could be at the end of his career in the sport, but Dana White is hoping he continues.
UFC fan favorite Stephen Thompson returned to the Octagon at UFC Nashville this past Saturday, taking on Gabriel Bonfim on the undercard.
‘Wonderboy’ was hoping to return to the win column after suffering back-to-back losses against Shavkat Rakhmonov and Joaquin Buckley, with his last win having come against Kevin Holland in 2022.
Despite that, the UFC veteran went on to lose a controversial split decision after suffering a horror injury to his shin.
Dana White hopes Thompson doesn’t retire following third loss in a row
UFC boss Dana White has historically been outspoken when it comes to fighters continuing to fight despite clearly showing regression as they age.
When three UFC veterans lost at UFC 310, White implored that all three of them should retire due to their ages and the way their careers panned out in the final years.
However, despite ‘Wonderboy’ having suffered his third loss in a row and being 1-5 in his last six fights, White has claimed that he would like Thompson to continue with his career in the premier promotion.
“I don’t know, that’s up to him. Yeah (I would like to see him continue), he looked great tonight, Wonderboy looked great tonight, for a guy who is a traditional martial artist, kickboxer, does a damn good job staying off the ground and defending the takedown and staying out of submissions,” White explained during the post-fight press conference.
“He’s one of the nicest human beings on the planet,” he continued.
The 42-year-old has been a long-time contender in the welterweight division and clearly still has a lot to give to the sport, however he has clearly regressed over the past few years.
‘Wonderboy’ Thompson breaks his silence after UFC Nashville loss
Following his loss, Thompson took to social media to break his silence, thanking his fans for their continued support, and also thanking the UFC doctors for stitching up his shin as it was ‘split to the bone’.
Moving forward, Thompson has stated that his prime focus is on healing his shin and potentially doing some more shin conditioning, not providing a comment on a potential retirement timeline.
