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Stephen Thompson’s former coach believes his age influenced the judges in controversial UFC Nashville loss

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Curtis Calhoun | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 10:43 PM ET

Legendary coach Ray Longo came to the defense of his former pupil Stephen Thompson after UFC Nashville.

Former UFC title challenger Stephen Thompson lost to Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Nashville, but not in the court of public opinion.

Thompson lost to Bonfim by split decision in the UFC Nashville co-main event on Saturday. The 42-year-old Thompson had many promising moments throughout the fight with his striking, but fell short on the judges’ scorecards.

After Thompson’s loss, many on social media aired their grievances with the judging of the UFC Nashville co-main event. Thompson’s former coach believes there’s more to the story and that the judges took external factors into account.

Ray Longo: If Stephen Thompson was 34, they give him the win

During a recent appearance on The Anik & Florian Podcast, Thompson’s former coach Ray Longo was asked about his performance at UFC Nashville.

“He 100 percent won the fight,” Longo said.

“You know what the problem is that I have? It’s conspiratorial, but if Stephen was 34 years old, and he was on the come up, he’s winning that fight. They give it to him. That’s my honest belief, it’s almost like [Paddy] Pimblett against Jared Gordon. The guy went in, in the third round, trying not to fight. Not even to try to take him down. And the only damage in the third round was done by Wonderboy Thompson, and that’s why he wins that fight.

“If you go on damage, he’s the guy with the damage… they f—– that up. I’m not saying complete robbery, but it’s a robbery based on the criteria. The other guy went out there not to fight…[Bonfim] lost that fight. How does it benefit him? It’s almost disgraceful, come on man, he did what he had to do to win that fight.”

Thompson suffered a nasty shin laceration in the fight with Bonfim, and a timetable for his return to the Octagon is uncertain. He hasn’t won since defeating Kevin Holland at UFC Orlando in 2022.

Despite the controversial nature of Thompson’s latest setback in the Octagon he received a big endorsement from UFC CEO Dana White after UFC Nashville.

Dana White shared some good news for Stephen Thompson after UFC Nashville

During the UFC Nashville post-fight press conference, White was asked about Thompson’s UFC future, and alluded to a desire for Thompson to stick around with the promotion.

Thompson is likely well past his physical prime but is still a matchup nightmare for many of the division’s top contenders. Recent wins over the likes of Vicente Luque, Geoff Neal, and Holland have kept fans hopeful in Thompson returning to title contention.

Depending on the severity of Thompson’s injury, he could potentially return to the Octagon by the end of the year.