Veteran fighter Stephen Thompson is set to return to the octagon this summer at UFC Nashville. The event, headlined by a heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira, will also showcase a welterweight bout pitting former title challenger Stephen Thompson against rising prospect Gabriel Bonfim. This exciting matchup was recently announced by the promotion.
Known as “Wonderboy”, Thompson (17-8-1 overall, 12-8-1 UFC) is looking to snap a two-fight losing streak, having fallen to Shavkat Rakhmonov and Joaquin Buckley in his previous outings. He hopes to rebound against the surging Brazilian.
Thompson`s most recent victory in the UFC was a dominant stoppage win over Kevin Holland in December 2022. After an impressive start to his UFC tenure with eight wins in nine fights, which led to a title challenge in 2016, “Wonderboy” has since compiled a record of four wins and eight losses in his last twelve bouts.
His opponent, Gabriel Bonfim, who is 14 years younger than Thompson, has rapidly made an impact in the UFC. He has won four of his five fights for the promotion, recovering from an upset loss to Nicolas Dalby in 2023 with impressive consecutive victories against Ange Loosa and Khaos Williams.
Bonfim, a former LFA welterweight champion known as “Marretinha”, is celebrated for his finishing ability, particularly with submissions. He secured first-round choke finishes in his first three promotional appearances: a Von Flue choke on Dana White’s Contender Series, followed by two swift guillotine chokes in the UFC against Mounir Lazzez and Trevin Giles.
