Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson showed off the aftermath of a gruesome cut he suffered on his shin from a kick during his fight against Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Nashville.
The two-time UFC title challenger suffered the cut during the fight and there was a steady stream of blood flowing from his leg until the final horn sounded. Thompson took to Instagram on Tuesday to show off the before and after photos from the cut and then the stitched up version as he begins to heal.
In the post, Thompson said the gash on his leg is healing correctly and he’s actually hoping to make a return to action before the end of 2025.
The loss to Bonfim dropped Thompson to 1-5 in his past six fights.
“Looks gnarly but [healing] up nice!” Thompson wrote. “Foot is feeling good too. [I don’t know], y’all might see me back in there before the end of the year. I ain’t gettin any younger.”
At 42, Thompson is the elder statesman of the UFC and he previously told MMA Fighting that he only had two fights left on his deal with the promotion, which would likely determine his future in the sport.
While the Bonfim fight goes down as a loss on his record, numerous media outlets and fighters complained that Thompson deserved the nod after inflicting more damage during the course of the fight.
Sadly, the result stays the same with Thompson dropping his third straight overall and no real indication of what comes next for him.
At his peak, the South Carolina based welterweight was one of the most dazzling and creative fighters on the entire roster. He went on a remarkable seven fight win streak including victories over Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks and Robert Whittaker to earn a title shot but ended up going to a draw with then champion Tyron Woodley.
He suffered a majority decision loss to Woodley in the rematch and he’s endured plenty of ups and downs ever since that defeat.
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