At 39, Stephen Thompson is still beating younger fighters, as Kevin Holland can attest after playing four rounds with the two-time welterweight title challenger at UFC Orlando.
Holland stayed as long as he could after taking dozens of acrobatic kicks off his body and dome. At some point, physics intervened and he was unable to continue, as his corner correctly cried out at the end of the fourth round.
A hand injury heralded the end for Holland, but for Thompson it was yet another reminder that at 170 pounds he’s still one hell of a dangerous fighter. His colleagues gave him appropriate props on Twitter.
Here’s what fighters had to say about the UFC Orlando main card.
What a great fight. Wonderboy Martial Arts Clinic Holland Clinic for Tenacity
— Al Iaquinta (@ALIAQUINTA) December 4, 2022
You rarely see the towel thrown in in MMA. Honestly, that was for Kevin’s own good. mad respect to holland for his tenacity and his corner. They actually care about Kevin’s health #UFCOrlando
— Randy Brown (@TouchNgo_) December 4, 2022
Call the Dutch corner. I think they made the right decision. No fighter wants that to happen, but sometimes you need your trainers to save you from yourself. There he suffered great damage. What a great show from the two men! Congratulations @WonderboyMMA to a great win! #UFCOrlando
— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) December 4, 2022
Yep Vegas will invest Holland after these abandoned takedowns #UFCOrlando
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) December 4, 2022
The shot Thompson fired from the forehead in the first that shook the shit out of him ended up winning the Crazy Ass Sport fight. That was a damn good fight. Congratulations @WonderboyMMA You definitely have the skills to pay the bills. #UFCFightNight
— Justin Gaethje (@Justin_Gaethje) December 4, 2022
congratulations to @RdosAnjosMMA for the dominant victory. Great takedowns and groundwork in higher weight classes. top work
— Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev (@RafaelFiziev) December 4, 2022
Call it a good curse, but other than the finish right after my last tweet, this fight wasn’t entertaining. He found the target, but after using the lateral movement to put him on the left straight #UFCOrlando
— Damien Brown (@beatdown155) December 4, 2022
Chin up my guy Tai Tuivasa
And Pavlovich… you are the REAL DEAL…! #UFCOrlando
— Ciryl Gane (@ciryl_gane) December 4, 2022
This guy beats Tyson Fury in boxing
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) December 4, 2022
Wow! Why did this guy do Tuivasa like this?
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) December 4, 2022
Idk who is scarier now… Sergei or Francis?! Both have enormous power! One has devastating kicks, the other dominates the wrestling… Needless to say, I’m looking forward to this match!#UFCOrlando
— Corey “Overtime” Anderson (@CoreyA_MMA) December 4, 2022
Wowwww! Dolize is sharp on the floor. Jack won by the feet and for some reason took him down! Impressive sweep to calf cutter! #UFCOrlando
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) December 4, 2022
Go ahead and file this under the Crazy Surfaces category. Dolidze is dangerous everywhere. Damned. #UFCFightNight
— Gerber Boser (@BulldozerBoser) December 4, 2022
What a finish from Anders, but I can’t help but wonder what damage daukau’s head is taking #UFCOrlando
— Pannie Kianzad UFC (@PannieKianzad) December 4, 2022
Anders looked like he was going to have trouble with his shot early on, but once he found it there was no turning back. Impeccable performance #ufcorlando
— Damien Brown (@beatdown155) December 4, 2022
This has been FOTN for sure so far, but since Rowe missed the weight and can’t get the $$, probably not #UFCOrlando
— Casey Oneill (@kingcaseymma) December 4, 2022