'Are you kidding me?!'… Stephen Thompson relives moment he was 'smoked' by Joaquin Buckley ahead of UFC Tampa
12/14/2024 09:17 AM
The final UFC card of 2024 goes down in just a few hours' time from Florida, with welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley taking on Colby 'Chaos' Covington in the main event of the evening.
It's been a stellar year for 'New Mansa', who scored a brutal third-round knockout over Stephen Thompson just a few weeks ago at UFC 307 – ahead of the final event of 2024, 'Wonderboy' has finally reacted to the KO.
Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson relives his knockout loss to Joaquin Buckley
"This is the first time that I'm going to be watching the fight since we fought," stated Thompson via his official YouTube channel, with the typically mild-mannered veteran even admitting that the loss makes him want to cuss the house down.
"I haven't gone back and watched it, I haven't looked at it, I try not to think about it – its one of those things, every time I think about it, I just got to cuss man, I know I don't cuss but you got to curse a little bit."
The breakdown offers UFC fans a fascinating insight into what goes through the minds of fighters, with Thompson regularly pausing the video to share details on everything from technique to positioning.
"You'll notice throughout this entire fight, Joaquin would do this high guard shield; as he would cover himself up, he would throw the right hand behind it… Hide that big bomb."
And that's exactly how the bout eventually ended, with Joaquin Buckley pressuring Thompson up against the cage before leaping in with a picture-perfect right hook in the third.
"Oh man, it's two minutes 50 left… Ah man. That's it! Dude… Are you kidding me?!
"I got to watch this in slow motion dude… I never really knew where in that third round it happened. He swings and boom, golly… Smokes me! He almost hits me with like a ridge hand, dude, everything he had in that punch right on the jaw."
Whilst Thompson detests the image of him being left on the canvas, he also acknowledged that this is simply the nature of the sport – sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail.
"I hate it, but at the same time, you can't – because other people have been on the end of my highlight reels and now, I'm on Joaquin Buckley's highlight reel.
"Hats off to my man Buckley, good job, go out there and kick some butt against Colby Covington. Dang it man, it's only been [a few months] since October and I still just can't stand it man."
Conor McGregor offered Stephen Thompson career advice after KO loss
In the aftermath of that shock KO loss, Thompson would receive a tidal wave of messages from fans and fighters offering their support to the UFC icon – including from Conor McGregor.
"My brother Stephen, STAND YOUR GROUND!" McGregor raged in a now-deleted tweet.
"You are more accurate, faster, more skill, faster eye. Stand your ground and fire! Skipping back for what? What are we skipping back for?
"Get them hurt first then you can skip and dance around. But hurt them first. Stand and fire missiles! You have an incredible array! Stand your ground and trust yourself! Rest up brother! Unlucky in there!"
In a separate post, one that was also quickly deleted, McGregor would label Thompson as "one the greatest to ever step foot in that Octagon," before stating that the 41-year-old still has what it takes to "stop people handily."
Thompson himself concluded his UFC 307 re-watch by stating that "you can't sit there and dwell on the past" as he looks to rebound from the KO in 2025.
"You've got to keep moving forward – I will be better next time I step out there, I will be faster, I will be better, and you will see a better Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson everybody."
