Stephen Thompson has gone into detail about his training regime that allows him to be a UFC fighter at the age of 41.
‘Wonderboy’ fights 30-year-old Joaquin Buckley this weekend as part of the card at UFC 307, in what will be his 21st bout in 12 years for Dana White’s promotion.
‘Wonderboy’ is coming to the end of his career, but he’s still got big goals.Getty
Thompson made his UFC debut in 2012 against fellow American Dan Stittgen, knocking him out with a devastating high kick in the first round.
He was awarded a $65,000 bonus for the best knockout on the card, but would lose his next UFC fight to Matt Brown two months later.
After that, Thompson went on a seven-fight win streak, beating the likes of Robert Whittaker and Rory MacDonald, before he got his shot at UFC gold.
Although ‘Wonderboy’ failed to beat Tyrone Woodley in both of his welterweight title fights, the pair put on a classic on both occasions.
Many MMA fans also suggested at the time that the result should have gone the other way, but regardless of the outcome, Thompson’s name was cemented as one of the best to ever do it at welterweight.
And seven years on from his second majority decision defeat to Woodley, which headlined UFC 209, Thompson is still fighting at the age of 41.
“I’ll do three-day fasts every two to three months, drinking only juice and water,” he told Men’s Health.
“That helps get all the toxins out of my body and boosts my testosterone. Of course, you can’t do that during camp because you’re training and you need fuel. In camp, I’ll reduce how much I eat but eat more often throughout the day.”
Thompson goes on to say how he trains constantly, regardless of whether a fight is on the horizon or not – something which sets him apart from other fighters in the UFC.
He added: “When I’m not in camp, I usually train one or maybe two times a day.
McGregor might have something to say about Thompson’s ‘greatest striker’ aim@wonderboymma – instagram
“The mindset is mostly different. I want my mindset in camp to be focused on what I need to get done during sparring sessions—what combinations I want to land, what I don’t want to get hit by, and we always go back to watch film…
“Usually from my opponent’s earliest fights to their most recent to see how much they’ve changed. A lot of guys don’t change. Joaquin has gotten a lot better.”
Last month, Thompson revealed he wanted to fight Leon Edwards, after the Birmingham man dropped the welterweight belt to Belal Muhammad at UFC Manchester.
He also told talkSPORT.com in December last year that he wanted to be the best striker to ever appear in the octagon.
‘Wonderboy’ may need to stay in the UFC for plenty more years to achieve those goals, but, nonetheless, he can get one step closer if he gets past Buckley this weekend.
Another factor that has helped Thompson remain at the top of his game is the fact he doesn’t have a sweet tooth or eat any junk food.
“I watch what I eat, which helps me keep my weight down. It’s always been that way,” he added.
For his fight against Buckley on Saturday, Thompson cannot weigh anymore than 171lbs.
He talked about the gruelling weight cutting process, which is arguably MMA’s biggest controversy, offering insight into how he gets his body prepared in the days leading up to the fight.
“When I first started, nobody knew what they were doing, and we all just suffered,” Thompson said.
“I’d sit in a sauna for eight hours with Skittles in my mouth, trying to spit, feeling like I was dying,” he added, saying he would proceed to use a makeup remover to open up his pores and complete a two-and-a-half hour workout in a sweat suit.
Now, Thompson just watches TV in a sauna blanket to ‘feel amazing’.
On the Tuesday before a fight, which would normally be on the following Saturday, ‘Wonderboy’ confirmed he would usually weigh 185lbs, before going down to 178lbs on the Thursday when he would start his cut.
By Friday morning, he would get up for his weigh-in at 171lbs and shadow box to shed whatever was necessary to meet the UFC’s rules of not weighing over a singular pound than the contractual weight.
UFC 307 also sees Alex Pereira defend his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree Jr.
Meanwhile, Julianna Pena has the chance to reclaim her women’s bantamweight title against Raquel Pennington, on a card that also features Jose Aldo and one of Thompson’s former opponents in Kevin Holland.
