Stephen Thompson
Active 2012–present · rated in 4 editions · peak overall 87.0
Scouting report
American Kempo Karate stances, lateral footwork, and blitz combinations make Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson a distinctive striker in the welterweight division. Hailing from Simpsonville, South Carolina, Thompson battled Tyron Woodley in two championship bouts, his precision reflected in a 95 Kickboxing rating, 89 Boxing, and 90 Fight IQ.
Peak ratings
By edition
Thompson put together a striking run between 2014 and 2015, knocking out Robert Whittaker in round one at UFC 170 in Las Vegas, defeating Patrick Cote at UFC 178 in Las Vegas, and knocking out Jake Ellenberger with a spinning wheel kick at TUF 21 Finale in Las Vegas. His point-karate footwork, side kicks, and distance control are reflected in a 93 Kickboxing and 86 Boxing.
Thompson dismantled former champion Johny Hendricks in 3:31 in Las Vegas and outworked Rory MacDonald over five rounds in Ottawa, earning title bouts against Tyron Woodley at UFC 205 and UFC 209 in two razor-thin fights, before out-striking Jorge Masvidal at UFC 217 in Madison Square Garden. His kicking technique and lateral footwork anchor his 95 Kickboxing and 89 Boxing.
In 2018 and 2019, Thompson dropped a five-round decision to Darren Till in Liverpool and suffered a knockout against Anthony Pettis in Nashville, before delivering a striking clinic to defeat Vicente Luque at UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden. His footwork, blitz combinations, and karate counters are reflected in a 94 Kickboxing and 88 Boxing.
Thompson produced striking performances in 2020, dominating Geoff Neal over five rounds in Las Vegas with distance movement and combinations, before dropping wrestling-heavy decisions to Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad in 2021. His karate distance management, blitz boxing, and cardio pace justify his 95 Kickboxing and 88 Boxing ratings.
Stephen Thompson: nobody is used to fighting this style
Stephen Thompson brought American kickboxing and a lifetime of karate to the UFC, and most opponents had never seen anything like it. Wide stance, hands low, and a distance most fighters could not find. He is the pool's purest striker, and he has the matching holes.
Thompson attribute by attribute
Boxing. Unorthodox blitzing. From a wide, bladed stance with the hands low, he darts in with straight punches as opponents close.
Kickboxing. Near perfect. The lead leg is his weapon: chambered side kicks, question-mark kicks and spinning hook kicks, all quick.
Wrestling. Decent defensive wrestling based on distance, but a real liability once someone closes in and locks their hands.
BJJ. Defensive and mostly wall-walking. He has little offence on the ground and spends the energy on getting up.
Strength. Low. He relies on speed, timing and finesse, and is easily out-muscled in the clinch.
Durability. A good chin in his prime. He took heavy shots from Tyron Woodley in two title fights and kept moving.
Cardio. Elite. The bouncing stance demands a lot of the calves and lungs, and he holds it for 25 minutes.
Fight IQ. Distance is his specialty. He calculates where to stand so he can hit without being hit.
The trait to take: Kickboxing
Hard to copy and harder to prepare for. The slot brings the quickest and most unpredictable kicking game in the pool.
The trait to skip: Wrestling and BJJ
He is a pure striker. Take his grappling and your fighter gets controlled the moment the fight reaches the mat.
Keep exploring
Closest welterweight profiles to Stephen Thompson, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Ian Garrybest kickboxing 90 · weakest bjj 78
- Jack Della Maddalenabest boxing 93 · weakest bjj 78
- Jorge Masvidalbest boxing 91 · weakest wrestling 80
- Robbie Lawlerbest durability 92 · weakest bjj 74
- Welterweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Stephen Thompson's strongest attribute, Kickboxing.
Draft Stephen Thompson into your build
Stephen Thompson enters the pool on any spin landing on welterweight between 2014 and 2022. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Stephen Thompson is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Stephen Thompson's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.