Veteran welterweight Stephen Thompson is scheduled for a return to the octagon this summer at UFC Nashville.
The Fight Night event, which is headlined by a heavyweight bout between veteran Derrick Lewis and the undefeated Tallison Teixeira, will feature the comeback of former title challenger Stephen `Wonderboy` Thompson, who is set to face the rising Brazilian prospect Gabriel Bonfim. This anticipated matchup was recently announced by the promotion.
`Wonderboy` Thompson, holding a professional record of 17-8-1 (12-8-1 in the UFC), aims to snap a two-fight losing streak when he takes on Bonfim. His recent defeats were against tough opponents, Shavkat Rakhmonov and Joaquin Buckley.
Thompson`s most recent victory in the UFC was in December 2022, a stoppage win over Kevin Holland. He previously fought for a UFC championship in 2016, following a strong start to his UFC career with eight wins in his first nine fights. However, his record has been 4-8 in his subsequent twelve bouts since then.
Bonfim, who is 14 years younger than Thompson, boasts an impressive professional record (currently 15-1, 4-1 in the UFC). He is looking to build on recent momentum, having rebounded from an upset loss to Nicolas Dalby in 2023 with consecutive victories over Ange Loosa and Khaos Williams.
Known as `Marretinha` and a former LFA welterweight champion, Bonfim made a significant splash in his early appearances under the UFC/DWCS banner. He secured first-round choke finishes in his first three octagon appearances: a Von Flue choke on Dana White`s Contender Series, followed by two guillotine chokes against Mounir Lazzez and Trevin Giles in his official UFC bouts.
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