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Welterweight Mainstay Aims To Defeat Surging Phenom

Originally posted on MMA Sucka | By Hank Strandberg | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 1:48 AM ET

Former two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson looks to end a two-fight losing skid against a hot divisional prospect in Gabriel Bonfim this Saturday.

Stephen Thompson Heavy Underdog for Saturday’s Match in Volunteer State

Jumping back into action for the first time this year, Stephen Thompson will square off with the resurging Bonfim in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 70 in Nashville, Tennessee. Although he currently occupies the number 12 spot in the division, “Wonderboy” finds himself on the wrong end of the betting lines, with most viewing the Brazilian as an overwhelming favorite. This underdog status for Stephen Thompson comes after the 42-year old suffered two stoppage losses back-to-back in his most recent bouts to Shavkat Rakhmonov and Joaquin Buckley. He has won just once in his past five trips to the cage.

While his luck as of late in the Octagon has been poor, Stephen Thompson was known as one of the best welterweight names on the planet at the height of his power. Working his way up to a championship opportunity in 2016 with wins over Johny Hendricks and Rory MacDonald, he faced off with then 170-lb king Tyron Woodley at UFC 205. He fought “The Chosen One” to a draw, setting up an anticipated rematch four months later, where he lost again to Woodley by majority decision.

Bonfim Resuming March To Welterweight Contendership vs. Stephen Thompson

In his first two fights in the UFC, Bonfim quickly gained recognition among the fanbase for his superb first round finishes of Mounir Lazzez and Trevin Giles. This string of success brought “Marretinha” on a collision course with veteran welterweight competitor Nicolas Dalby at UFC Fight Night 231. Managing to damage the grizzled European in the early goings of the contest, it appeared that Bonfim was set to collect another stellar win. That was until Dalby shocked the MMA community by handing the young phenom his first defeat, knocking him out from the clinch in the second stanza.

In the wake of the massive upset, though, Bonfim has gotten himself back into the winner’s circle by netting two more victories, besting Ange Loosa by unanimous decision and tapping out the formidable power-puncher Khaos Williams. Looking to enter the top 15 at welterweight, the Brazilian is beaming with confidence ahead of the largest opportunity of his combat sports journey against Stephen Thompson.

Stephen Thompson Was a Top Star at Welterweight in Not-Too-Distant Past

This late career rut may dissuade newer UFC fans from thinking Stephen Thompson has any hope of winning, but if it’s one thing the karate specialist has taught audiences over the years, it’s that he is no stranger to impressive rebounds. Across his stint in the promotion, the welterweight luminary has historically always gotten a victory after taking two defeats in a row. This was seen by his comebacks over Vicente Luque, Geoff Neal and Kevin Holland when he was in the midst of two separate losing streaks from 2018 to 2022.