Stephen Randall Thompson
Wonderboy
American
MMA Record 17-6-1
Welterweight
Height 6'
Reach 75'
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About: Art of striking series; highlighting beautiful striking displays
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Thank You !
I traveled to SC to meet Wonderboy. I was in NC taking care of my mother who had cancer and Wonderboy welcomed me in, trained me for about an hour and made a video for my mother. He never charged me a dime. He’s a great fighter but an ever better person.
Starcraft is a great place
hope your mama is doing okay bro 🙏♥️
Hope your mom is cancer free. Wonderboy is always nice to everybody but his opponents during the fight. Then afterwards a gentlemen lol.
Hope your mom is doing well 🙏
If he charged you... I would think there is an imposter in his gym
One of the best fighters to never be champion and one of the most exciting strikers to watch. All while being a stand up, genuinely great guy. All love for Wonderboy
for a stand up fighter, he's a pretty stand up guy
@@Ar1AnX1xIrony.. *ding*
Props to Kevin Holland for giving Wonderboy a straight up striking match, we got to see Wonderboy's entire striking arsenal in one fight. 🔥 🔥 👊
We'll just pretend we didn't see Kevin start shooting for takedowns later in the fight haha. No disrespect though guy's gotta do what he's gotta do.
I don't think most folks realize how hard it is, to get away with the stuff Wonderboy does. You don't stand in front of elite fighters with your hands down by your hips 95% of the time, unless you are in complete control of what you're doing. Wonderboy might not ever hold the strap, but he's better than some champs will ever be. It's unfortunate that his wrestling defense is such a weakness to him. Then again, it takes a world class grappler to get him down and hold him down. Still, he's one of the top strikers in the entire history of the welterweight division. Always a joy to watch him do what he does best.
you'd think that having his hands so low would give him a really good takedown defense for sprawls and underhooks. Maybe he just doesnt have the time to perfect it like his otherworldly striking
Wonderboy does train pretty regularly with Chris Weidman, who has some pretty stellar wrestling himself. But translating takedown defence to a primarily bladed-stance fighter is its own skill, what with single-leg shots in the open and the ever-developing world of wall/cage wrestling. This video also doesn’t show very much of the clinch, which is just as important for staying on the feet because of the plethora of takedowns available - trips, foot-sweeps, hip throws, head-and-arm throws, lateral drops, suplexes, you name it. Although Wonderboy isn’t a clinch killer, he is harder to take down than we might think. I will say, though, one or two of Thompson’s fights happened while Weidman was on medical leave after breaking his shin, and someone comments that Thompson’s TDD skills felt a little less sharp than usual. That may have played a factor against… I think it was Gilbert Burns, in particular?
Forget welterweight, Wonderboy is a top 3 striker in MMA history
He should do kickboxing again, in one championship or glory. I feel like he could get the strap in kickboxing
@@miner2119 he was undefeated in kickboxing if I’m not mistaken
The most entertaining and likable guy in MMA! Respect to this guy 👏
Him and Whittaker are good proof that you don't need to play a villain heel act to be entertaining to the audience.
@@darkclaw1462oliveira as well
michel pereira
@@FazzyBeatzzCan't even make it to the octagon.
You know what else is masterful? This channel’s presentations. Thank you from all of us.
His flow and footwork is insane, he finds openings constantly and have people guessing. His counters are perfect as well. One of my favorite fighters for sure!
It's literally violent art. Wb is so dangerous man.. if you Close the distance, his counters are the best in the game.. if you stay on the outside , hes gonna absolutely tee off.. you either gotta be all the way In or all the way out anything in between is the absolute danger zone.
God, I wish WB was like 15 years younger. I’d love to see him coming up in this new era of fighters. Would also love to see him fight someone like Anderson Silva or a smaller Izzy. Always a blast to watch, and even more to hang out with. Such a genuine dude. He’ll knock your ribs outta place and pay to have em fixed right after
He'd smash your face too😂😂😂😂. Then he'll pay for your medical bills.
He literally gets better with age. His war against Holland was a striking masterclass. Broke his damn hand punching him in the face.
And he broke Kevins hand from all those headkicks that got blocked
honestly think wonder boy is the best striker we’ve ever seen. no exaggeration, he beats any 170 pounder on the feet
I still believe it's Adesanya (people dismiss his skills because they dislike him) but Adesanya is the most sophisticated striker i've ever seen but Wonderboy is right there (in my humble opinion)
@@Adontheimperfectionist i’d agree with you, his setups are unbelievable and you can almost see his mind working during a fight it’s so satisfying to watch. you’ve changed my mind brother i’ll put izzy at 1, with wonderboy an inch behind him
@@badgedog freak
@@Adontheimperfectionisttrue, im an izzy fan so ofc i agree, but imo it can go either way, wonderboy seems to be the more offensive striker whereas izzy is the more defensive striker
@@CamWalkerMixedMartialArts the more I learned about striking the more I realized how insane Izzy is... I just think his fight IQ is that high and that's why I give him the number 1 spot imo, the way his mind tactically works in there is terrifying.
I love how Masvidal just smiles after getting flattened by a WB sidekick. It's one of those perfect connections where you can't even get mad.
I love how you transitioned from leg kick compilation to wheel kick compilation by using a shot of him doing a leg kick, wheel kick combo. Very nice touch
That Pettis fight was wild. Wonderboy was having a field day prior to getting KO’d.
probably the best body kicks in the business
This guy is phenomenal
Kevin Holland, Geoff Neal and Vicente Luque got worked. Could've showcased every aspect of Wonderboy's striking just off those 3 bouts
My great grandma lived right behind him and his dad's old gym. Me and my brother would always walk right over and watch the matches or training classes on the weekends 😅 Stephen is such a great guy and his dad is as well. I'm glad he's gotten his flowers lately
Wonderboy is my favorite striker to watch, his biggest striking weaknesses is not checking leg kicks and wide stance and not having the best boxing defense(which is not that big of a deal because his distance control is insanely good) other than that he does most things better than other high level strikers in my opinion
Yeah I agree. I use a bladed stance and I have the same issue too. I really wish WonderBoy held the title or I hope he does…
@@USCaiden and even though his leg is just there, since he counters really well, the opponent still isn't completely comfortable to just throw it, but still since he's so technical and he can do everything I still don't understand how he doesn't have better defense against calf kicks, I wish I could ask him
@@USCaidenI do karate and sorta have a bladed stance. To check most legs kicks u would want to switch to cat stance just for that moment. It’s a quick shift in weight and allows front leg to to be light to position it however you like. Cat stance has other uses too
@@kiarce3 im bladed as fuck aswel. You can't check a kick to lead leg in the MT style. You can with the rear leg. What i do is kick the kick if they throw a lead leg round i meet it with a lead leg round. If they through a rear round i teep it. That way the target is gone and all there round kick energy is met with your heal sticking just above their knee. Then as your lead leg goes back to the ground your wait goes forward through overhand right as their staggering .
dream fights if all was equal is Stephen Thompson vs Izzy Adesanya in a pure kickboxing match. Shit would be beautiful.
His resume is insane
That kick at 7:40 was beautiful
No
every kick is beautiful,stfu
@@wenbao2089 ?
karate is so missundestood and underrated, perfect for creating legends.
Just watched 21 minutes of wonder boy beat tf outta people. 💯
Stephen fought the whose who of the WW division for YEARS. This man better get his flowers when it’s all said and done.
His hook kicks are on POINT!
He earned that "Wonder Boy" name! Violent art at its finest. great highlight video! The man deserves his flowers.
Wonderboy is a martial artist in every sense of the word He's one of my favorites for sure!
His fight against Holland was insane.
A 20 minute video is a gift!
Some of these dudes are so tough. Prime woodley, luque and Holland were gobbling up some massive shots.
This is such a good compilation of Stephen’s work. Multiple angles give you a great sense of the impact that his kicks have.
Oh the old 'Liam the expert' style. Appreciate it.
We need more videos of "when striking becomes ART", they are really cool to watch
2016 Wonderboy was untouchable
its crazy how Wonderboy is as technical as a Flyweight but at Welterweight, even high level flyweight strikers like Kara-France don't have such a vast arsenal of weapons, its actually insane when you think about it.
Wonderboy's skill is only matched by his ability to be one of the nicest human beings to ever live
Giving this man his flowers 💯
Representing what karate is it looks soft but it is brutal. It has so many concepts. When fighters master this martial art you got Benny urquidez wonderboy machida
Wonderboy is underrated
I always wonder why there's never any mention of the his fight With Rory MacDonald. It's like hidden from the face of the internet.
Dude this video is phenomonal. The way every single combination is grouped together 1-2, 1-2-1,1-2 headkick etc... Definitely need to show this to Stephen!
Killer editing! Great video!
Excellent compilation!
Good to have you back my guy
Burns laughing after getting head kicked is just the funniest thing ever
Lead leg kicks I think is something karate and TKD utilises the best that should be a part of most fighters arsenals, obviously those spinning kicks and blitzes are just a thing of wonder (no pun intended) and mastery
He is one of my favorite fighters.
Best striker in the ufc imo.. the dude controls range masterfully and is an absolute sniper with his technique's. Makes good fighters look amateurish.
I love how he is the most charming and amazing person but when he steps on the cage he just becomes a merciless killer
Ive always been a HUGE fan of the karate stance style Wonder boy uses and McGregor used to use. Its exciting, never know what youre going to be hit with. When McGregor was in his karate stance is when he was an absolute BEAST, technical, using his kicks that you never knew were coming. His biggest downfall was switching to this boxing stance. He used to be so light on his feet, always moving, controlling distance, an assassin. How him or anyone on his team hasnt noticed this, and told him to go back to what made him the Conor McGregor that we know is wild. I always tune in to watch Wonderboy fight, his fighting style is so exciting! Plus you add his personality and how hes probably the most likable person in the UFC. He is the true NMF champion(Nicest Mother F**ker) Steven "Wonderboy" Thompson - the undisputed world NMF(Nicest Mother F**ker) Champion! Don't let that his super nice, humble demeanor fool you, he is an assassin!
Rory looks like a canadian strickland in that Wonderboy fight
One of my very favorite fighters.
I never clicked on a video so fast after opening YT.
Well done 👍
7:58 One of the best KOs in the UFC
There’s no way Stephen doesn’t deserve to be in the UFC hall of Fame. Sure he never won a title but he has master class performances against many. He hold wins over Champions in the division also.
One of the very few guys left in the UFC with that old kickboxing/karate style stance
Wonderboy the type of guy who knocks you out and then pay for a dinner
Who hasn't Wonderboy fought against?
Blessings from Colombia 🇨🇴❤
Met him in Miami. He’s the true NMF
UFC needs another Stephen, heck the world needs another Stephen. Fantastic human.
The way he can get those head kicks up there so quick and unpredictable is incredicble
Seriously such a beautiful fighter and it's crazy how vicious the endings were sometimes when the dude couldn't be nicer. I find that fascinating
Huge inspiration
One of the best strikers ever to compete in the ufc. At least top 3. I Love watching his fights!
I cant argue with that. His striking is so technical and precise
Wow! Amazing! One the best and one of my favourite fighters! A true martial arts warrior! It's unfortunate he didn't become a champion also some what confusing why and how??! He has everything for him to become one he's even beat former champions. I my humble opinion there's still time for him if Texaria can do it at his age then so can Thompson!
Wonder boy is my #1 favorite fighter, it’s gonna be sad when he retires. But he has a KZhead channel and does colabs with other great KZheadrs, so there will be great content nonetheless.
If Wonderboy could get a title shot he could Potentially give Edwards some problems. I'd love to see that fight
I could watch this for hours
He throws that side kick so fast its like a boxers jab and then he creates distance for more kicks
One of the best karate athletes in the world of fighting
He is an idol of mine.
that wonderboy bumper got me mesmerized
That Ending was like Tekken 3
Id give anything for him to move up for a fight with Izzy.
Never even thought about that! That would be a great fkn fight I really hope that can happen. I think WonderBoy walks around at 190-200 I could be wrong.
@@USCaidenWonderboy walks around 190 lbs so there’s really only a 10 lb weight difference between him and Izzy
Pedazo de peleador máquina
I love Wonderboy
Absolutely ART I've always said that,,,,
wb style is so fun for the fans.
One of the best fighters to never be champ. I truly believed If Woodley had never existed, Wonderboy would've been champ.
I mean yeah, he drew with woodley, was just as good as the reigning champion. If the roles were reversed he would have got to keep his belt.
Don’t care what anyone says, wonderboy is the best pure striker in MMA history. No fighter has his combination of agility, movement, accuracy, speed, and creativity.
Wonderboy is like that one anime protagonist who has very clean and innocent heart but his fighting abilities can make anyone to shit his pants.
Always enjoy your videos. Should do a petr yan next
Every time I see WB, I think of the pastor from the movie Silver Bullet, by Stephen King. A great 80’s movie
Nice work , could you please start narrating the video. They will be badass.
Never got to see Bruce Lee in competition but I imagine this is the type of exciting kicking he would show us. IMO.
Can you imagine Wonderboy vs. Izzy?? Literally a fight between two striking wizards like something out of a movie 🤩 Sadly it will never happen 💔
Izzy ain't on Wonderboys lvl mate . As Strickland proved. Wb would never get walked down like that. Hes got a jab and a lead leg side kick .
@@avancalledrupert5130while true, Izzy does have a decent size advantage so it would still be an excellent matchup. Probably not as good of a fight however since Izzy tends get scared when he’s up against superior strikers.
great flexibility and timing
It seems to me that the way he made his karate work was actually by learning how to identify early signs of an approach, and interrupting with his own attack. Makes it look like he's countering, but notice how he almost never gets hit by their initial strike, and he actually had engaged in a technique which made that head movement automatic. When he gets those insane "counter shots," it's actually because their attack was part of his plan. Watch the boxing jabs and overhands from the karate stance. He only uses them when he knows the opponent's momentum is maximizing the impact, and the karate style movement creates an automatic level change, while being effective "counter strikes" for their brawling onslaught.
Kevin Holland looking like a character in The Fifth Element!
I would have loved to see wonderboy vs usman
Im gonna miss wonderboy when he retires
Crazy how he’s been in the game for so long and is still such a puzzle on the feet. Only guy’s to really beat him in the stand up were Pettis and Woodley
Karate has always been something that people made fun of and associated with bullshido and nerds so it's always so cool when a fighter like Wonderboy demonstrates it's effectiveness at the highest level. Granted people will still call GSP and Wonderboy nerds but they can't say karate doesn't work.
Craziness
The NMF!
If he doesn't beat you up, you can definitely trust that Kevin Holland will give you some good highlights haha what a nice guy.
Dude gives me real life Johnny Cage vibes lmao so fun to watch
I know I'm probably in the minority here but I like this type of video much better - just straight to the clips that are easy to break down and add to your own style. Not really a fan of all the added weigh-in/trash talk footage before every single bout. I understand that's probably what gets a lot of casual fans excited so I don't blame you. Keep up the good work regardless