LAS VEGAS — International Fight Week needed a dramatic ending, and Stephen Thompson delivered exactly that. “Wonderboy” rallied back from early trouble to devastate Jake Ellenberger with a spinning heel kick knockout in the main event of Sunday’s The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale, wrapping up a weekend that saw UFC 189 rock the MMA world with one of the greatest main cards in the history of the sport. Check out reaction from Thompson’s electric victory below.
I always love when the “up & comer” is actually older.
— Nick Newell (@NotoriousNewell) July 13, 2015
O MY GOODNESS! #TUFFinale
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) July 13, 2015
That was some stuff out of Street Fighter #UFCFightNight #wonderboy
— Roger Narvaez (@Silverback316) July 13, 2015
@WonderboyMMA BEAUTIFUL!!!! Best performance of your career. Wrestling, striking, heart.
— Skywalker (@ScogginsFlow) July 13, 2015
AND THATS WHY HES MY STRIKING HERO BABY!!! HELL YEA!! STUD FREAKIN’ MUFFIN! @WonderboyMMA @UFC #TUF21Finale
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) July 13, 2015
I need to get better at throwing spinning shit
— Nick Newell (@NotoriousNewell) July 13, 2015
Incredible!! Wonderboy gets dropped, recovers, lands a spinning heel kick and drops jake (who kind of recovers) then lands another ftw!!!
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) July 13, 2015
Beautiful ko
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) July 13, 2015
Wow. Beautiful display of Karate @WonderboyMMA
— Nina Ansaroff (@NinaAnsaroff) July 13, 2015
That was nasty by Wonderboy! #UFC
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) July 13, 2015
Wow what a great performance by @WonderboyMMA – let’s do Dublin in October! #Karate #UFCDublin #Gunni-V-Stephen @seanshelby
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) July 13, 2015
KAMARU USMAN DEF. HAYDER HASSAN
Hyder stole my walk out song. Come on. Lol #TUFFinale
— Paige VanZant (@PaigeVanzantUFC) July 13, 2015
Congrats @USMAN84kg #TUF21Finale winner!!!!
— Jessica Penne (@JessicaPenne) July 13, 2015
It’s okay @HayderHassan. You are an amazing person and athlete.You will be back stronger.
— Nina Ansaroff (@NinaAnsaroff) July 13, 2015
Usman with relentless pressure and continuous takedowns until getting the sub. Impressive and frustrating (if you’re on the other end )
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) July 13, 2015
Usman looked solid. Great TDs, good GnP, and good stand up. Should be a great addition to the @ufc roster
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) July 13, 2015
My bro fuckin won, love you bro very proud @usman84kg @blackzilians @glennauthentic @ufc @UltimateFighter
— Abel Trujillo (@AbelTrujillo1) July 13, 2015
Head high @HayderHassan you pulled the show through for us thank you so much buddy!
— Cole Miller (@colemillerATT) July 13, 2015
@FollowTheMenace “A Mike…..What……PUSH!!!! and tell your girlfriend @SugaRashadEvans to join u!”
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) July 13, 2015
@FollowTheMenace @SugaRashadEvans @USMAN84kg I just read this. I got u!
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) July 13, 2015
Thanks @CubSwanson it was nice doing business with you! pic.twitter.com/usZra2IKPa
— Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) July 13, 2015
MICHAEL GRAVES DEF. VINCENTE LUQUE
Micheal Graves has so many nickname opportunitiez with his name, WHY DOESNT HE HAVE ONE?! #Undertaker #DiggerOf #BodySnatcher #TombRaider
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) July 13, 2015
This is the Micheal Graves that Dan Lambert was raving about. He has improved a ton.
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) July 13, 2015
That fucking hand! BOOOO!! Revoke the grounded opponent rule, people are abusing the shit out of it #TUF21Finale
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) July 13, 2015
Way to go Graves! 1-0 in the UFC now. @americantopteam killing it tonight #ATTVsBlackzilians https://t.co/Kk9ChJjanT
— Cole Miller (@colemillerATT) July 13, 2015
Att att att congrats @GravesMMA
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) July 13, 2015
ATT baby @AmericanTopTeam respect.. pic.twitter.com/G8YEsJrbeu
— Antonio Pezao Silva (@BigfootSilva) July 13, 2015
JORGE MASVIDAL DEF. CEZAR FERREIRA
Masvidal looks fucking huge at 170 #TUF21Finale
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) July 13, 2015
Boom! Congrats @GamebredFighter!
— Nina Ansaroff (@NinaAnsaroff) July 13, 2015
Yeah babe @GamebredFighter
— Hector Lombard (@HectorLombard) July 13, 2015
Dang!!!! @GamebredFighter is a G!!!!!#UFCFightNight
— Roger Narvaez (@Silverback316) July 13, 2015
Beauty elbow then finish by @GamebredFighter!
— Chad Laprise (@ChadLaprise) July 13, 2015
Jorgie @GamebredFighter !!!!! #ATT #TUF21Finale #UFC
— Yoel Romero (@YoelRomeroMMA) July 13, 2015
Congrats @gamebredfighter way to represent @americantopteam at the Finale ATT vs Blackzilians https://t.co/ww23RXdz60
— Cole Miller (@colemillerATT) July 13, 2015
Way to be @GamebredFighter !!!! @AmericanTopTeam !!
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) July 13, 2015
Yessssssss………. ATT ATT ATT ATT!!!!!!! Congrats @GamebredFighter
— Will Brooks (@illwillbrooks86) July 13, 2015
Beautiful elbow !!! @americantopteam #ATTNation #att #DropTheMicWalkOff @gamebredfighter https://t.co/yCtGMjs2N6
— Nik Lentz (@NikLentz) July 13, 2015
MICHELLE WATERSON DEF. ANGELA MAGANA
That hair was a bad choice. Not one of her friends owned up and said. That looks jacked.
— Scott jorgensen (@Scottjorgensen) July 13, 2015
This fights awesome! #TUFFinale @UltimateFighter #TUF #WARKarateHottie
— Anthony Birchak (@abirchakMMA) July 13, 2015
Awesome debut from @karatehottiemma !! Wins rd 3 Rnc and really displayed a very well rounded game. Even sweeter it was magana #TUF21Finale
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) July 13, 2015
Good fight
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) July 13, 2015
I’m so happy, I’m crying. I love you @karatehottiemma !!!!! You amaze me in every way.
— Holly Holm (@_HOLLYHOLM) July 13, 2015
Wow! @karatehottiemma at the top of her game! What an exciting fight! @ufc @UFCONFOX @FOXSports1 @JacksonWinkMMA pic.twitter.com/2p4WM5sOJk
— Emily Peters Kagan (@EmilyPKagan) July 13, 2015
@karatehottiemma is tough as hell and awesome as a person!
— ike vallie-flagg (@IKEVF) July 13, 2015
MAXIMO BLANCO DEF. MIKE DE LA TORRE
#YvesLavigne you’re better than that…
— TheOnceAndFutureKing (@BensonHenderson) July 13, 2015
Yves in the wrong position to see that de la torre had his eyes focused on blanco…but yes he was rocked #TUF21Finale
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) July 13, 2015
Stoppage was early. Problem is the inconsistency of Yves Lavigne. The Waters fight could have been stopped but wasn’t.
— Dana White (@danawhite) July 13, 2015
WHAT?!? Fuck that!! @SSDMIKED got fucked! The whole crowd was booing!! Yves Lavigne stopped it too soon!! Goddamnit!
— Lauren Murphy (@LaurenMurphyMMA) July 13, 2015
Maximo trippin! #UFC
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) July 13, 2015
He called Conor out?
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) July 13, 2015
Bad stoppage , this is professional mma. Not professional point fighting, people will get rocked . #mma #ufc #tuf21
— Brian Rogers (@BRogthePredator) July 13, 2015
Yves is the king of early stoppages! #UltimateFighterFinale
— MIKE RICHMAN (@MikeUSMCRichman) July 13, 2015
JOSH SAMMAN DEF. CAIO MAGALHAES
Ew spitting is a no no #TUF21Finale
— Jessica Penne (@JessicaPenne) July 13, 2015
That was bogus
— Ricardo Lamas (@RicardoLamasMMA) July 13, 2015
Why spit after losing? #TUF21Finale
— Jerome-Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) July 13, 2015
Who does something like that? Spit blood on the guy? What an idiot.
— Will Brooks (@illwillbrooks86) July 13, 2015
@JoshSamman congratulation guy you was the best today. also helped me to evolve as an athlete and man required
— Caio Magalhaes (@CaioHellboy) July 13, 2015