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Four Reasons Stephen Thompson Is The UFC’s Next Big Star

Each year the UFC stumbles upon yet another potential breakout star. Fighters like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey have filled the void in year’s past, but it now seems as if Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is on track to join them in 2016. Fresh off a first-round knockout of former UFC welterweight champion Johny “Bigg Rigg”

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Each year the UFC stumbles upon yet another potential breakout star.

Fighters like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey have filled the void in year’s past, but it now seems as if Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is on track to join them in 2016. Fresh off a first-round knockout of former UFC welterweight champion Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks at UFC Fight Night 82, the 32-year-old karate expert is on the doorstep of a divisional title shot.

But despite his recent success on paper, there’s something special about Thompson that eludes many other fighters gracing the UFC elite. He is far from ordinary, and a talent that is more than capable of beating welterweight standouts like champion Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, and Rory MacDonald without breaking a sweat.

In association with the kickboxer’s untapped potential and gargantuan push towards UFC gold, here are four reasons why “Wonderboy” will be the next big star in the sport.

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UFC Rankings Update: Stephen Thompson On The Rise

Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson set the mixed martial arts (MMA) world on fire when he knocked out former champion Johny Hendricks in the main event of last weekend’s (Sat., February 6, 2015) UFC Fight Night 82 from the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he’s deservedly earned a big boost up the official UFC rankings

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Thompson rose up a whopping five spots in the welterweight ranks to No. 3 after defeating the previously No. 2-ranked ‘Bigg Rigg,’ who fell to No. 5. Tyron Woodley overtook his No. 2 spot. Hendricks’ demotion caused Nos. 6-9 fighters Demian Maia, Matt Brown, Dong Hyun Kim, and Neil Magny to all drop one spot as a result.

In other rankings movement, lightweight saw some changes when Tony Ferguson changed spots with Donald Cerrone, moving up to No. 4. Edson Barboza did the same with Beneil Dariush at the Nos. 8 and 9 spots, respectively, and Dustin Poirer and Bobby Green did the same at No. 11 and 12.

At middleweight, Anderson Silva continued his rise up the rankings heading into his UFC Fight Night 84 main event against Michael Bisping, clocking in at No. 7 after re-debuting at No. 10 last week. The move sent Robert Whittaker, Gegard Mousasi, and Thales Leites all down one spot, while Rafael Natal and Derek Brunson traded the Nos. 12 and 13 spots.

Heavyweight saw a bit of movement as surging ‘Big’ Ben Rothwell sent Andrei Arlovski from the No. 4 spot, forcing the former champion into a tie with Junior dos Santos, whom Rothwell will fight in Coratia this April, at No. 5. Josh Barnett took the No. 8 spot from Mark Hunt, while Antonio Slva, Matt Mitrione, and Alexei Oliynyk all benefited from Jared Rosholt’s decision loss to Roy Nelson, which sent him plummeting three spots to No. 15.

Finally, the pound-for-pound rankings saw quite the upheaval for not having a single member of the list fight last weekend, as Rafael dos Anjos moved up two spots to No. 4 heading into his UFC 196 clash with Conor McGregor. Robbie Lawler moved down two spots as a result. Also on the pound-for-pound list, newly re-crowned bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz took over the No. 7 spot from middleweight champion Luke Rockhold.

Here are the fully updated rankings from the UFC’s official website:

POUND-FOR-POUND
1 Jon Jones
2 Demetrious Johnson
3 Conor McGregor
4 Rafael dos Anjos +2
5 Fabricio Werdum
6 Robbie Lawler -2
7 Dominick Cruz +1
8 Luke Rockhold -1
9 Jose Aldo
10 Daniel Cormier
11 Chris Weidman
12 TJ Dillashaw
13 Holly Holm
14 Joanna Jedrzejczyk
15 Frankie Edgar *NR

FLYWEIGHT
Champion: Demetrious Johnson
1 Joseph Benavidez
2 John Dodson
3 Henry Cejudo
4 Ian McCall
5 Jussier Formiga
6 Kyoji Horiguchi
7 John Moraga
8 Zach Makovsky
9 Wilson Reis
10 Ali Bagautinov +1
11 Dustin Ortiz -1
12 Justin Scoggins *NR
13 Louis Smolka
14 Ray Borg -2
15 Sergio Pettis

BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Dominick Cruz
1 TJ Dillashaw
2 Renan Barao
3 Urijah Faber
4 Raphael Assuncao
5 Aljamain Sterling
6 Michael McDonald
7 Thomas Almeida
8 Bryan Caraway
9 Takeya Mizugaki
10 Johnny Eduardo
11 John Lineker
12 Frankie Saenz
13 Jimmie Rivera +1
14 Eddie Wineland -1
15 Francisco Rivera

FEATHERWEIGHT
Champion: Conor McGregor
1 Jose Aldo
2 Frankie Edgar
3 Chad Mendes
4 Max Holloway
5 Ricardo Lamas
6 Cub Swanson
7 Charles Oliveira
8 Dennis Bermudez
9 Jeremy Stephens
10 Hacran Dias
11 Darren Elkins
12 Tatsuya Kawajiri
13 Brian Ortega
14 Nik Lentz +1
15 Clay Guida -1

LIGHTWEIGHT
Champion: Rafael dos Anjos
1 Eddie Alvarez
2 Khabib Nurmagomedov
3 Anthony Pettis
4 Tony Ferguson +1
5 Donald Cerrone -1
6 Nate Diaz
7 Michael Johnson
8 Edson Barboza +1
9 Beneil Dariush -1
10 Al Iaquinta
11 Dustin Poirier +1
12 Bobby Green -1
13 Michael Chiesa
14 Evan Dunham
15 Rashid Magomedov *NR

WELTERWEIGHT
Champion: Robbie Lawler
1 Rory MacDonald
2 Tyron Woodley +1
3 Stephen Thompson +5
4 Carlos Condit
5 Johny Hendricks -3
6 Demian Maia -1
7 Matt Brown -1
8 Dong Hyun Kim -1
9 Neil Magny -1
10 Tarec Saffiedine
11 Rick Story
12 Kelvin Gastelum
13 Thiago Alves +1
14 Albert Tumenov *NR
15 Gunnar Nelson

MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion: Luke Rockhold
1 Chris Weidman
2 Jacare Souza
3 Vitor Belfort
4 Lyoto Machida
5 Tim Kennedy
6 Michael Bisping
7 Anderson Silva +3
8 Robert Whittaker -1
9 Gegard Mousasi -1
10 Thales Leites -1
11 Uriah Hall
12 Rafael Natal +1
13 Derek Brunson -1
14 Dan Henderson
15 Roan Carneiro

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Daniel Cormier
1 Jon Jones
2 Anthony Johnson
3 Alexander Gustafsson
4 Glover Teixeira
5 Ryan Bader
6 Ovince Saint Preux
7 Rashad Evans
8 Mauricio Rua
9 Jimi Manuwa
10 Patrick Cummins
11 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
12 Corey Anderson
13 Gian Villante +1
14 Ilir Latifi +1
15 Jan Blachowicz *NR

HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Fabricio Werdum
1 Cain Velasquez
2 Stipe Miocic
3 Alistair Overeem
4 Ben Rothwell +1
5 Andrei Arlovski -1
5 Junior Dos Santos +1
7 Travis Browne
8 Josh Barnett +1
9 Mark Hunt -1
10 Frank Mir
11 Roy Nelson
12 Antonio Silva +1
13 Matt Mitrione +1
14 Alexey Oliynyk +1
15 Jared Rosholt -3

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT
Champion: Joanna Jedrzejczyk
1 Claudia Gadelha
2 Carla Esparza
3 Rose Namajunas
4 Tecia Torres
5 Jessica Penne
6 Valerie Letourneau
7 Paige VanZant
8 Joanne Calderwood
9 Maryna Moroz
10 Michelle Waterson
11 Randa Markos
12 Karolina Kowalkiewicz
13 Jessica Aguilar
14 Juliana Lima
15 Felice Herrig

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Holly Holm
1 Ronda Rousey
2 Miesha Tate
3 Cat Zingano
4 Amanda Nunes
5 Julianna Pena
6 Sara McMann
7 Jessica Eye
8 Bethe Correia
9 Liz Carmouche
10 Sarah Kaufman
11 Valentina Shevchenko
12 Marion Reneau
13 Raquel Pennington
14 Germaine de Randamie
15 Jessica Andrade

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UFC Fight Night 82 Salaries: ‘Wonderboy’s’ Bonus Bigger Than His Paycheck

Rising UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson may have picked up what ranks as by far his biggest win when he knocked out former champion Johny ‘Bigg Rigg’ Hendricks in the main event of last weekend’s (Sat., February 6, 2015) UFC Fight Night 82 from the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, but his paycheck didn’t

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Thompson was paid $24,000 to win and $24,000 for a total of $48,000 for the thrilling performance against Hendricks, an amount that was actually $2,000 less than the much-deserved $50,000 ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus he received afterward.

In an odd twist, UFC Fight Night 82 featured a high number of six-figure earners aside from Thompson, as five total fighters made $100,000 or more last Saturday. They were headlined by Hendricks ($100,000), Roy Nelson ($150,000), Joseph Benavidez ($118,000), Ovince St. Preux ($102,000), and longtime veteran Mike Pyle, who earned $106,000 in addition to $50,000 more for ‘Fight of the Night’ in his exciting stoppage win over Sean Spencer.

Here is the full list of disclosed UFC Fight Night 82 payouts:

Main Card (FOX Sports 1):
Stephen Thompson ($24,000 + $24,000 = $48,000) def. Johny Hendricks ($100,000)
Roy Nelson ($75,000 + $75,000 = $150,000) def. Jared Rosholt ($33,000)
Ovince St. Preux ($51,000 + $51,000 = $102,000) def. Rafael Cavalcante ($42,000)
Joseph Benavidez ($59,000 + $59,000 = $118,000) def. Zach Makovsky ($19,000)
Misha Cirkunov ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Alex Nicholson ($10,000)
Mike Pyle ($53,000 + $53,000 = $106,000) def. Sean Spencer ($17,000)

Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1):
Josh Burkman ($45,000 + $45,000 = $90,000) def. K.J. Noons ($34,000)
Derrick Lewis ($25,000 + $25,000 = $50,000) def. Damian Grabowski ($18,000)
Justin Scoggins ($17,000 + $17,000 = $34,000) def. Ray Borg ($18,000)
Diego Rivas ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Noad Lahat ($17,000)

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass):
Mickey Gall ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Mike Jackson ($10,000)
Alex White ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Artem Lobov ($13,000)

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Medical Suspensions From UFC Fight Night 82

The medical suspensions from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 82 have been released. UFN 82 took place on February 6th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The event was headlined by Johny Hendricks vs. Stephen Thompson in welterweight action. Oth…

The medical suspensions from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 82 have been released. UFN 82 took place on February 6th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The event was headlined by Johny Hendricks vs. Stephen Thompson in welterweight action. Other bouts on the card included Roy Nelson vs. Jared Rosholt, Ovince Saint Preux vs. Rafael Cavalcante, and Joseph Benavidez vs. Zach Makovsky.

Here is the complete list of medical suspensions from UFN 82:

Stephen Thompson: Requires x-ray on right ankle, if positive then needs clearance from orthopedic doctor or no contest until 08/07; minimum suspension no contest until 03/08, no contact until 02/28

Jared Rosholt: Requires x-ray on left ankle, if positive then needs clearance from orthopedic doctor or no contest until 08/07; minimum suspension no contest until 03/08, no contact until 02/28

Rafael Cavalcante: Requires right eye cleared by ophthalmologist or no contest until 08/07; minimum suspension no contest until 03/23, no contact until 03/08

Ovince St. Preux: Requires x-ray on right ankle, if positive then needs clearance from orthopedic doctor or no contest until 08/07; minimum suspension no contest until 03/08, no contact until 02/28

Josh Burkman: Requires MRI on right shoulder and clearance by orthopedic doctor or no contest until 08/07; minimum suspension no contest until 02/28, no contact until 02/21

Diego Rivas: Requires both knees to be cleared by an orthopedic doctor or no contest until 08/07

Alex Nicholson: Requires bilateral jaw fractures and broken nose cleared by an oral/maxillofacial doctor or no contest until 05/08; minimum suspension no contest until 03/23, no contact until 03/08 due to left eyelid laceration

Noah Lahat: Suspended until 04/07, no contact until 03/23

Joseph Benavidez: Suspended until 03/23, no contact until 03/08 due to left eyebrow laceration

Sean Spencer: Suspended until 03/23, no contact until 03/08

KJ Noons: Suspended until 03/23, no contact until 03/08 due to finger laceration

Damian Grabowski: Suspended until 03/23, no contact until 03/08 due to scalp laceration

Johny Hendricks: Suspended until 03/08, no contact until 02/28

Ray Borg: Suspended until 03/08, no contact until 02/28 due to tough fight

Artem Lobov: Suspended until 03/08, no contact until 02/28 due to left upper eyelid laceration

Mickey Gall Predicts He’ll Finish CM Punk In First Round

We finally know who CM Punk will fight in his UFC debut. Now, that question won’t be asked again, but now fans can speculate on how Punk will do in his UFC debut when he fights the impressive Mickey Gall. Gall beat Mike Jackson in a welterweight bout at UFC Fight Night 82 and earned

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Gall beat Mike Jackson in a welterweight bout at UFC Fight Night 82 and earned his shot against Punk. Gall, who is now 2-0 in his MMA career, will fight Punk in either June or July.

Gall spoke with reporters following his fight and explained that his short chat inside the octagon with Punk was like a soccer-mom small talk.

“It was like small talk – soccer-mom small talk,” Gall said. “It was nothing.”

Gall believes that he’ll beat up a superstar, and he’ll finish Punk in the first round.

“I respect that dude,” Gall said. “He made himself a superstar. But it’s a big fight for me. I get to beat up a superstar. That’s what I’m going to do.

” … I’m going to beat up CM Punk in the first round. It’s the same original prediction. I don’t think I’ll beat him quicker than this one (against Jackson), but it’ll be in the first round.”

Punk did an interview at the event and said that he would like to fight at UFC 200 in July. UFC President Dana White said after the fight that the promotion would announce a date for the fight soon. Either way, the fight will be happening in the new few months.

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Poll: Who Should Stephen Thompson Fight Next?

Skyrocketing UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson shocked possibly the UFC’s most talented division when he knocked out former champion Johny Hendricks in the first round of UFC Fight Night 82 last night from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Coming into the fight at No. 8, Thompson exhibited world-class striking range that simply had

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Coming into the fight at No. 8, Thompson exhibited world-class striking range that simply had “Bigg Rigg” neutralized in the Octagon after an early first round takedown attempt. The much shorter Hendricks ever got his once-vaunted power punching going, and instead ate a monstrously precise straight left that opened up the floodgates for one of Thompson’s trademark spinning kicks, after which a flurry of punches caused a surprisingly quick stoppage to the fight.

‘Wonderboy’ called out for a title shot versus Robbie Lawler following his biggest MMA win, and after he handled the former champ with such ease, and it might be tough to deny him at this point. However, there are a slew of top contenders like Rory MacDonald, Tyron Woodley, and Carlos Condit ranked ahead of him, and all of them would certainly make for exciting match-ups that could decide the next title challenger. He could also face the winner of May’s Demian Maia vs. Matt Brown, bout which would be a rematch of his only UFC loss if Brown were to win.

No matter what direction the UFC takes with their flashy star in the making, the future is bright for ‘Wonderboy’ and his next fight will be a pivotal one. Whom do you think he should meet in the Octagon?

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