Stephen Thompson arrived in UFC Nashville hoping to rewrite the end of his story. Instead, he received a bloodied shin, a split decision loss, and a new wave of controversy surrounding MMA judging. Thompson, 42, looked bright despite a severe leg injury, but the judges chose Gabriel Bonfim. And many viewers weren’t having it.
Bonfim won on two of the three scorecards, although it was not a unanimous decision outside the cage. For viewers, fighters, and analysts alike, the outcome did not sit right, especially given Thompson’s comeback performance after injuring his shin in round two.
Instead of folding, he kept firing kicks, landing headshots, and driving forward, whereas Bonfim focused on clinch control and takedowns that dealt little damage. Dillon Danis simply called it out on his X, as he wrote, “What a robbery. Wonderboy clearly won that. Judges must’ve been watching a different fight. Guy’s 42 and still schooling people.”
UFC welterweight Kevin Holland also joined in, as he added, “I had Wonderboy 2-3, but I’m no judge.” The MMA Guru also stated that Thompson won the second and third rounds by wide margins. “Thompson won the second and third round clear… 42-year-old grey-haired Wonderboy with a busted shin & he’s failing his takedowns & control then just stalling up against the cage.”
Fans online expressed their displeasure, with one user writing, “Horrible scoring. I hate judges who score control like that. He just held him. But got lit up in round 2 and 3. Wonderboy should’ve won that.”
MANNNNNN pic.twitter.com/XhuRT4Sqok
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 13, 2025
Another added, “The lame a– scoring system let the bum win who had to hug and hold a 40-year-old against the cage to stall… Pathetic to watch.” This was more than just a bad loss.
It served as a reminder that in MMA, controlling space often trumps actually fighting. And for a fighter like Thompson, who is adored, older, and still capable, it’s the kind of conclusion that fans will debate long after the lights go out.
The post Calls Mount to Fire Judges as Stephen Thompson Robbed Despite Overcoming Injury vs. Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Nashville appeared first on EssentiallySports.
