Stephen Thompson
UFC 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 an 89 Kickboxing rating, 87 Boxing, and 86 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 in Montreal, 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 an 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 controversial 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 an 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.
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 our own, built from independent research and from how Stephen Thompson is regarded by the MMA community, with the EA Sports UFC games used only as a starting baseline for the scale. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Stephen Thompson's real-world abilities. See the disclaimer below.