UFC Journey Part 1: Stephen Thompson vs. Kevin Holland [Full Episode] | ESPN MMA UFC Journey shows the lives of Stephen …
[Music]
I always visualize the fight
it’s a chess match to me
it’s a dangerous game
you can get knocked out
I don’t sit there and fixate on it I
focus on my hand being raised at the end
of that fight
this journey that I want I describe it
one way big mouth blazing the trail
simple as that
what’s better than the people’s champ I
always get the job done always fun for
the people put them both together it’s a
hard combination to do with
[Music]
all right Landing back facing up
down here turn your head to the left
very good
the last year and a half so it’s been
pretty nice got some good dubs took a l
switched weight classes doing good there
a bunch of shoe strings around the joint
right yeah somewhere loose some were
tight and it’s unstables a tug of war
you get yanked out
it’s just been Kevin Holland doing what
Kevin Holland does I guess I moved
between Trailblazer and big mouth just
depending on the times of the situation
when it’s time to fight fans want
Trailblazer they get in trouble as the
fans want big mouth they get big mouth
but honestly the professional that I am
these days I’m doing a good job of just
combining it all well that’s kind of
where the Newfound success is coming
from we have one complete man
from the center good
nice
at this point in time in my career I
would describe it as just the roller
coaster I uh retired before 30 and uh
back before 31 so it’s a good time
I really just retire for shits and
giggles I mean everybody [ __ ] retires
it’s not it really wasn’t a big deal I
think the media made it a bigger deal
than what it was
[Applause]
simple fact is I wanted this fight and I
got this fight so I’m back but don’t
don’t get it missing through you know
it’s like something wonderful
magnificent didn’t step up and pop up
I probably would have stayed in Cabo for
a good six months
I’m in a good spot right now but I wish
we could throw out the last one and just
because last night was a [ __ ] show
foreign
new co-main event at UFC 279 hamzajimaya
misses wake no longer in the main event
now in the co-main event against Kevin
Holland
supposed to be Rodriguez I’m all in for
d-rod and everything’s looking great I’m
feeling good training for Rodriguez you
know we’re working a lot of Jabs we’re
working a lot of lead hooks
skirt get the breaks let me find Dera
we’re fighting a wrestler
I’m a company man whatever the company
says that’s what this man says too Kevin
is this a better
View
[ __ ] no but it’s gonna be a fun one
[Applause]
Kevin Holland showed up here expecting
to face a striker instead he faces Hamza
shimayev and all that he brings to the
tape
respect Kevin Hollow for doing this
because not many people would step up
inside on a day’s notice I mean he can
do it all he just doesn’t train for this
particular fight but he’s a gangster
so went out there thought we were gonna
have some fun but next thing you know
dudes on my legs they going for a ride
Furious start to this one as expected
you know it was like a roller coaster
and next thing you know he’s choking me
Holland really Winston now
[Applause]
[Music]
disposes of Kevin Holland how good is he
to do that to Kevin Holland is
unbelievable it’s Jiu Jitsu nobody beats
me on the feet it is what it is
and go our way catch you on the next one
if we get the next one
[Music]
there it is
cut them off smart feet smart feet
mirror image
our next fight up is going to be
December 3rd versus uh Steven Wonderboy
Thompson I think this is a great matchup
I know the fans love it but I think
people forget that Kevin is an
all-around Striker he hits so hard reach
is ridiculous we’re gonna see if we
can’t outstrike one of the best strikers
in UFC history
there is no difficulty in figuring out
Wonder Boy style he does a lot of
wonderful things that come from a karate
background I know a traditionally
straight that’s where I come from so be
a chance to get back to the roots I hit
harder than Wonderboy I’m just as fast
as Wonderboy and I’m just a slick as
Warner boy I’m gonna knock him out so
it’s gonna be a really [ __ ] fun night
and it’s a perfect matchup for him as
well just the same things I think is the
same thing the same thing the difference
is I hit like a [ __ ] truck he doesn’t
fighting for the UFC I’ve been blessed
to be able to travel the world
and there’s no place like home
[Music]
I’ve been in Simpsonville my entire life
small town growing every day but still
has that small town vibe
I love it here this is where I’m going
to be probably for the rest of my life
[Music]
Simpsonville is a very special place
gotta line them up
every place everything
in its place
living in a martial arts family
was pretty exciting but at the same time
it was pretty rough too
Mister oh we’re doing one of those
me my brothers and sisters fought
constantly I’m gonna run to the bike
over there dad that’s gonna be okay
if we ever got caught fighting my dad
would actually make us fight my dad
would move the coffee table out of the
way and we would fight until we didn’t
want to fight anymore it conditioned us
for sure and toughened us up but uh
taught us that we didn’t be fighting
side to side
figure it out you know here he’s my boss
here he’s my coach
and outside of that he’s pops
I was 12 years old when he took me to my
first UFC event and I told my dad I was
going to do this one day
and he did not let me stray from that
goal that I had
sometimes he whines
and pushes back
on me as a coach so I have to bring the
dad out son you know what your leg might
be a little sore so you know we’re gonna
work around it we’re gonna work through
it you got to stay on it my dad started
the martial arts almost 50 years ago he
ran to karate school and he had two
other jobs to take care of his family
and five of us kids I need the best 30
seconds you got I was raised in the
general I want you to call a dojo rat
I train here
I teach here I eat here
I literally go home just to sleep
I had my very first fight when I was 15
years old
huh my dad took me to the dogs on that
when I fought a guy who was 26 years old
he was 20-0 he was undefeated
and uh here I am 15 years old 145 pounds
soaking wet
anyway I beat the brakes off the guy and
that’s actually how I got my name named
the Wonder Boy
and the announcer called me Wonder Boy
and it stuck with me ever since come on
baby all day
I was actually brought out to Montreal
Canada to fight guess who’s in my
opponent’s corner George Saint Pierre
imprizon hobby so I’m like oh my God
this guy’s probably just a monster
I knocked the dude out in the fifth
round
that same day George st-piering for a
hobby comes up to us was like hey can we
get your number
wanted me to come down and help him with
his training camps and I was like heck
yeah are you kidding me the UFC chant
let’s go
I found myself doing more Jiu Jitsu and
wrestling to be a better sparring
partner and I’m like I definitely need
to be switching to MMA looking good
looking good in 2010 I had my very first
MMA fight
2012 the UFC called beautiful and uh
here I am
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson set to make
his UFC debut
oh that’s a wrap oh caught him again
I went on a seven fight winning streak
another ridiculous highlight Stephen
wonderful assassin and that got me tired
Woodley 13 and one as a professional
looking to leave as the new champ UFC
205 Madison Square Garden
one of the most epic fights
in the fourth round
he ends up knocking me down
he’s through the right hand oh
good
but we’ll be sagging him next thing you
know I’m in like a deep Guillotine oh
man that is so tight how is Wonder Boy
surviving here he’s gonna tap
in the moment I literally said all these
people came to watch me fight
I’m not gonna tap his head is free and
as soon as my head popped out the whole
Arena erupted
[Applause]
something that I will remember
for the rest of my life so many epic
fights you’re gonna add this one to it
yes I fight for the honor and the glory
but I also want to put on a good show
the winner my split decision to
understand
we end up getting a rematch
oh
oh okay but he ended up winning it so I
had to go back to the drawing board
what are we gonna watch
let’s watch his uh dear his oh yeah oh
yeah yeah we gotta go old school
kickboxing WB is so old
that that’s a VHS tape it’s got still
working in it what year is that 2005.
been doing this since I was 15 years old
and I’ll be 40 in February it doesn’t
sound right in there guys I love it I
love to compete it’s kind of hard to
stop no
that’s the go-to curse word down here
[Music]
we go this is embarrassing oh man I
think the round kick shovel one two dude
oh yeah come on get that front end
[Music]
yeah we put on some killer fights man
let’s play a good place the best times
man
oh man we were high rollers bro
[Music]
did you see that
not a whole lot of people get to fight
for the title
I fought for it twice and I didn’t get
it
I know I’m two or three fights away from
getting another title shot
I know there’s a murderous Row in front
of me that’s why I love this game
because of the chess match
December 3rd
Main Event against Kevin Holland this
guy is a killer
he’s a grave Striker probably one of the
best
when you’re up there in the big leagues
The Proving Grounds you can’t drop your
yard for an instant because they will
seize the opportunity when you watch
this guy fight he gets better and that’s
a scary guy
I gotta be able to adapt to that
mid-fight
Kevin’s gonna know who the better
Striker is that my hand’s going to be
raised at the end of this fight
I’m gonna go for the title
check check
what’s good what’s going on real eyes
recognize podcast episode number six the
man the myth the legend but it’s all
Legend over here with Kevin trailblaze
Holland Big Mouth yeah big mouth yeah
today main event December 3rd how’s the
training camp going man it’s actually
going great
um Kevin’s really turned I think a
corner if we continue in this direction
you know anything can happen in in a
fight of course but I think he’s going
to be the most mentally and and
physically prepared that he’s ever been
Bob Perez badass striking coach hell of
a man he’s just making better by just
simply bringing his energy and bringing
his knowledge as a world-class knowledge
when it comes to uh striking and great
knowledge when it comes to MMA fighting
is 100 an individual Sport and the like
other end of the token it’s a team sport
Kevin cannot be where he’s at none of
these men and women can be at the
highest level of their profession
without a team before my career I was
having a lot of different voices and I
wasn’t exactly sure who to listen to on
Fight Night and and uh with Bob you know
he has a good mix of knowledge he lets
everybody talk but the way he puts
things in order it allows me to
understand you know that he’s leading it
to the right way Kevin’s really turned I
think a corner you know just as a man
and as a fighter in regards to
professionalism it’s not just you’re
fighting another fighter it’s kind of
man versus himself yeah and I really see
him having this Clarity right right now
this kind of like light bulb or Epiphany
moment where he’s like man I have to hit
this corner and he’s doing it times are
changing in my life and I decided I
really wanted to give this a go so to be
professional you have to do the
professional thing so I went from 185 to
170 pounds
Kevin Hollins got the chance to be a
superstar the man loves to fight at 170
this is his correct weight class
Oliveira I wanted to find a way for the
right hand to touch him just a little
bit wow right hand to the Dome
[Music]
and then we smack down to Tim Means I
was firing on all cylinders and
ultimately it led it to him getting
rocked by the right hand once again
big right has means wobbles
Holland has him down there’s the tap
[Music]
good one two slip two boom a little more
chop
boom there it is one two slip two three
two
follow up yes sir faster
definitely in 1270 pounds because I’m in
shape at 170 pounds
I enjoy being a chef I enjoy going out
there and knowing that I’m not going to
gas out you know you see me asking for
five rounds now because uh your boy just
don’t get tired like you used to not two
three two
it’s the right weight for him he became
more structured himself I think once we
made this decision his nutrition his
workouts everything he started taking I
think more seriously
and man I think it you know the
Dividends are paying off for sure
[Music]
foreign
it’s very exciting to go get somebody
with a traditional background
five rounds of work with one of the best
strikers in the world I oblige 100
percent
five rounds to work with one of the best
Grapplers in the world I oblige 100
percent
sometimes you get guys that know how to
bang a good roundhouse kick at the right
time throw some good punches but you
ain’t got Wonder Boy he can spin with
the kick he can jump in the air and
throw a strike his punches are clean but
uh when I get in front of them we’ll
find out if it’s really that puzzle that
everybody says it is or if it’s just
simple the fact that they don’t know how
to traditionally strike we’ll see who is
more effective I think he’ll be the more
pretty one but I’ll be the more
effective
it’s gonna be a fun night because when I
put the right hand on them no matter
what he does my right hand is gonna make
a difference in this fight every single
time and I know that
let’s go out there and work it
gonna pick up some youngins today
here I am fighting for the UFC and you
know fought for the title many times
[Music]
she’s alive but I’m just a regular guy
who just loves to fight
I’m driving the party school bus every
day teaching kids classes
so we have five buses and we all go to
like three or four different schools
what’s up Jasper Casper hello and Sarah
bear come on in let’s see sir check
Jasper check
what’s up Cooper this is my real job I
fight for the fun of it what’s up
Christian
this person
has two evil stepsisters and a stepmom
Cinderella I would say I’m the most
popular I think the least popular is
probably my dad
sit down put your seatbelt on
what movie is this off
my real job
is changing people’s lives to the
martial arts
I know what it’s done for me
and to give that back to them
it’s awesome
that direction not only changes them but
it also changes the community
and imagine what we can do with an
amazing Community how much better
everything could be
ready my dad always told me people don’t
really care how much you know
they only want to know how much you care
all right I’m gonna grab a partner here
we go
you get a chance to go get inside on
that body with them hands get inside on
that body with them hands
the biggest mistake Kevin can make is
taking me lightly do your job
people are like oh he’s done Stephen
Thompson’s done he’s too old he can’t do
it anymore
are you kidding me no
no
I’m 39 years old and I’m still learning
every day
I’m not the best
that mindset kept me hungry and always
coming to the gym with empty cups
man I’ll do this as long as my body will
let me oh my dad says I’m done
he knows me more than I know myself at
this point
you know my dad fought my sister fought
most of my siblings have fought
[Music]
Legacy is kind of important
to me
when I’m like 80 and I look back on it
[Music]
I’m just like oh this is this it’s been
the greatest life ever
in a sport
that it’s just so hard
there’s nobody else to blame but you all
eyes are on you
if I go out there and I win over Kevin
Holland I move up the rankings or I
fight somebody higher than me I’m two
fights away from a title fight
that’s the ultimate goal this to be the
best if you’re not focused on being the
best you shouldn’t be out there so
we gotta go out there and win this fight
[Music]
I never felt invincible Invincible is a
recipe for a person who doesn’t want to
put in any work and a person that wants
to eventually fail you feel events will
come hang out with me for a day
guarantee you’re not going to dodge
every shot unless you feel wonderful you
won’t feel invincible
when you step in that octagon
and they close it
there’s no more thinking it’s just
reaction
I understand why I’m there
that was meant for this and guess what
I’m still here baby
I’ve got a lot left in man
You Ain’t Seen the Last of Stevie Wonder
Boy Thompson