Hello, mixed martial artist fans! If you love following the MMA and admire world-class, Stephen Thompson is a name you’ll recognize instantly. He is widely known for his karate‑based striking style, long career in combat sports, and reputation as one of the most technical stand‑up fighters in MMA.
Stephen Thompson’s Biography
| Field | Detail |
| Name | Stephen Randall Thompson |
| Nickname | “Wonderboy” |
| Born | February 11, 1983, Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA |
| Age | 42 years old |
| College | N/A |
| Religion | N/A |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Turned pro | UFC debut February 4, 2012; professional MMA run began around 2010–2012 following a long kickboxing career |
| Primary team/gym | Team Upstate Karate / Pitch Black MMA |
| Net worth | $3 million USD, based on career earnings and endorsements |
| Salary | Reported UFC base pay around 350,000 USD in recent years, excluding win bonuses and sponsorships |
| Spouse | N/A |
| Relationship status | Unmarried |
| Children | N/A |
| Instagram profile | “@wonderboymma” |
Early career
Stephen Thompson grew up training karate and kickboxing under his father, Ray Thompson, at Team Upstate Karate in South Carolina. He compiled an outstanding amateur kickboxing record, reportedly going 37–0 as an amateur and 20–0 as a professional kickboxer, winning multiple titles and becoming known for his flashy, side‑on karate stance.
His success in stand‑up striking led to attention from MMA teams and eventually a transition to mixed martial arts, where he adapted his karate‑kickboxing base for the cage.
Professional career
Thompson made his UFC debut in 2012 and quickly gained attention with a first‑round head‑kick knockout of Dan Stittgen at UFC 143. Over the next several years, he defeated notable contenders such as Robert Whittaker, Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald, Jorge Masvidal, and Vicente Luque, establishing himself as a top welterweight striker.
He challenged Tyron Woodley twice for the UFC welterweight title, fighting to a majority draw at UFC 205 and then losing a close majority decision in the rematch at UFC 209. Later in his career he faced elite opponents like Darren Till, Anthony Pettis, Gilbert Burns, Belal Muhammad, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Joaquin Buckley, and Gabriel Bonfim, remaining a ranked veteran presence in the division.
Stephen Thompson’s net worth Details
As of 2025, Stephen Thompson’s net worth at around 3 million USD. These figures are not official but are typically calculated from his disclosed fight purses, bonuses, and sponsorship or endorsement income over a long career. As of the most recent 2024–2025 updates, there is no credible evidence that his net worth has changed dramatically from this range, so 3 million USD remains the commonly cited approximate figure for 2025.
Fight purses
| Date / Event | Opponent | Result | Reported total disclosed purse (approx.) |
| Feb 4, 2012 – UFC 143 | Dan Stittgen | Win | About 97,000 USD (base + win + bonuses & sponsorship) |
| Apr 21, 2012 – UFC 145 | Matt Brown | Loss | About 33,000 USD |
| May 25, 2013 – UFC 160 | Nah‑shon Burrell | Win | About 41,000 USD |
| Sep 21, 2013 – UFC 165 | Chris Clements | Win | About 49,000 USD |
| Feb 22, 2014 – UFC 170 | Robert Whittaker | Win | About 103,000 USD (included a performance bonus) |
| Sep 27, 2014 – UFC 178 | Patrick Côté | Win | About 57,000 USD |
| Jul 12, 2015 – UFC FN: Ellenberger vs Thompson | Jake Ellenberger | Win | About 97,000 USD |
| Feb 6, 2016 – UFC FN: Hendricks vs Thompson | Johny Hendricks | Win | About 103,000 USD |
| Jun 18, 2016 – UFC FN: MacDonald vs Thompson | Rory MacDonald | Win | About 59,000 USD |
| Nov 12, 2016 – UFC 205 | Tyron Woodley (1) | Draw | About 460,000 USD |
| Mar 4, 2017 – UFC 209 | Tyron Woodley (2) | Loss | About 410,000 USD |
| Nov 4, 2017 – UFC 217 | Jorge Masvidal | Win | About 68,000 USD |
| May 27, 2018 – UFC FN: Thompson vs Till | Darren Till | Loss | About 147,400 USD |
| Mar 23, 2019 – UFC FN: Thompson vs Pettis | Anthony Pettis | Loss | About 130,000 USD |
| Nov 2, 2019 – UFC 244 | Vicente Luque | Win | About 300,000 USD |
| Dec 19, 2020 – UFC FN Vegas 17 | Geoff Neal | Win | About 465,000 USD |
| Jul 10, 2021 – UFC 264 | Gilbert Burns | Loss | About 166,000 USD |
| Dec 18, 2021 – UFC Vegas 45 | Belal Muhammad | Loss | About 216,000 USD |
| Dec 16, 2023 – UFC 296 | Shavkat Rakhmonov | Loss | About 916,000 USD (largely from a high base and sponsorship) |
| Oct 5, 2024 – UFC 307 | Joaquin Buckley | Loss | About 321,000 USD |
Endorsements
- Transparent Labs: Thompson promotes Transparent Labs supplements and has posted sponsored content using a specific discount code linked to his nickname, making this a confirmed ongoing endorsement.
- Hempworx: Net‑worth and endorsement breakdowns list Hempworx, a CBD‑related company, as one of his sponsors, though contract terms are not publicly disclosed.
- Reebok: During the UFC Reebok uniform era, Thompson was one of many rostered fighters sponsored through the official Reebok outfitting deal.
Career records
| Opponent | Result for Thompson | Method | Event / Promotion | Notes |
| Gabriel Bonfim | Loss | Decision (split) | UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs Teixeira (2025) | Latest listed UFC bout as of 2025. |
| Joaquin Buckley | Loss | KO (punch) | UFC 307 (2024) | Late‑career welterweight bout. |
| Shavkat Rakhmonov | Loss | Submission (rear‑naked choke) | UFC 296 (2023) | Fought rising undefeated contender. |
| Kevin Holland | Win | TKO (corner stoppage) | UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs Holland (2022) | Fight of the Night; classic striking war. |
| Belal Muhammad | Loss | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Daukaus (2021) | Three‑round main card bout. |
| Gilbert Burns | Loss | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 264 (2021) | Co‑main event on a Conor McGregor PPV card. |
| Geoff Neal | Win | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs Neal (2020) | Five‑round main event; Performance of the Night. |
| Vicente Luque | Win | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 244 (2019) | Fight of the Night at Madison Square Garden. |
| Anthony Pettis | Loss | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs Pettis (2019) | Highlight‑reel Superman punch finish by Pettis. |
| Darren Till | Loss | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs Till (2018) | Five‑round bout; Till missed weight (catchweight). |
| Jorge Masvidal | Win | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 217 (2017) | Dominant striking performance on major PPV. |
| Tyron Woodley | Loss | Decision (majority) | UFC 209 (2017) | Second welterweight title fight vs Woodley. |
| Tyron Woodley | Draw | Draw (majority) | UFC 205 (2016) | First welterweight title fight; Fight of the Night. |
| Rory MacDonald | Win | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs Thompson (2016) | Five‑round main event in Canada. |
| Johny Hendricks | Win | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs Thompson (2016) | Former champion, Thompson stopped him in round 1. |
| Jake Ellenberger | Win | KO (spinning wheel kick) | TUF 21 Finale (2015) | Spectacular spinning‑kick knockout; Performance of the Night. |
| Patrick Côté | Win | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 178 (2014) | Three‑round decision. |
| Robert Whittaker | Win | TKO (punches) | UFC 170 (2014) | Stoppage over future middleweight champion. |
| Chris Clements | Win | TKO (punches) | UFC 165 (2013) | Second‑round finish. |
| Nah‑shon Burrell | Win | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 160 (2013) | Three‑round decision. |
| Matt Brown | Loss | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 145 (2012) | First professional MMA defeat. |
| Dan Stittgen | Win | KO (head kick) | UFC 143 (2012) | UFC debut; Knockout of the Night. |
| Patrick Mandio | Win | Decision (unanimous) | Fight Party (2011) | Pre‑UFC regional bout. |
| William Kuhn | Win | Decision (unanimous) | Xtreme Chaos 2 (2011) | Regional fight in South Carolina. |
| Marques Worrell | Win | Submission (rear‑naked choke) | Greenville Kage Fighting 2 (2010) | Only listed MMA submission win. |
| Daniel Finz | Win | TKO (punches) | Xtreme Cage Fighting 2 (2010) | Early professional bout. |
| Jeremy Joles | Win | TKO (head kick and punches) | Greenville Kage Fighting (2010) | Professional MMA debut. |
FAQs
1. What is Stephen Thompson’s full MMA record?
Stephen Thompson’s professional MMA record is listed as 17 wins, 9 losses, and 1 draw, mostly at welterweight in the UFC. This record includes multiple main‑event appearances and two UFC title fights.
2. How tall is Stephen Thompson and what weight class does he fight in?
Thompson is officially listed at 6 ft 0 in (about 183 cm) tall. He competes at welterweight, which in the UFC is the 170‑pound (77 kg) division.
3. What is Stephen Thompson’s fighting style?
Thompson is known for a karate‑based striking style, using a sideways stance, quick footwork, and diverse kicking techniques. His background in Kempo karate and kickboxing shapes his approach, making him one of the most technical distance strikers in MMA.
4. Who are Stephen Thompson’s most notable opponents?
Some of his most notable opponents include Tyron Woodley, Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald, Robert Whittaker, Darren Till, Jorge Masvidal, Anthony Pettis, Gilbert Burns, Belal Muhammad, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Joaquin Buckley, and Gabriel Bonfim. These fights span title bouts, main events, and clashes with former champions and top contenders.
5. Did Stephen Thompson ever win a UFC title?
Thompson has challenged for the UFC welterweight title twice but has not won the belt. He fought Tyron Woodley to a majority draw at UFC 205 and then lost by majority decision in the rematch at UFC 209.
6. What are Stephen Thompson’s biggest reported fight payouts?
Thompson’s biggest reported disclosed purses include approximately 460,000 USD at UFC 205, 410,000 USD at UFC 209, about 465,000 USD against Geoff Neal, and around 916,000 USD against Shavkat Rakhmonov. These totals combine base pay, win or performance bonuses where applicable, and sponsorship income.
7. How much has Stephen Thompson earned from MMA fights overall?
Career‑earnings trackers estimate Thompson’s total recorded MMA fight earnings at roughly 2.7–2.8 million USD before endorsements and other outside income. This figure comes from his disclosed purses across UFC events, not including any undisclosed pay‑per‑view or discretionary bonuses.
8. What is Stephen Thompson’s estimated net worth in 2025?
Public net‑worth estimates for Stephen Thompson consistently cluster around 3 million USD, based on his fight earnings and endorsement deals. These are third‑party estimates and not official financial disclosures, but there is no strong evidence that his approximate net‑worth range has changed significantly by 2025.
9. Who sponsors Stephen Thompson?
Thompson has been associated with brands such as Transparent Labs and Hempworx and previously with Reebok during the UFC’s uniform sponsorship era. Exact sponsorship contract values are not publicly reported.
10. Is Stephen Thompson married or does he have a girlfriend?
Recent major MMA and sports net‑worth profiles list Thompson as unmarried, and they do not confirm any current long‑term partner or girlfriend. Because reliable, consistently cited sources do not document a spouse or children, his detailed relationship status remains private and largely unknown to the public.