Stephen Thompson will grab all the headlines for his age when he steps into the octagon ring to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296. The Welterweight fighter is renowned for his striking ability and is cited by other UFC fighters as one of the most respectful fighters in the promotion, but his age is the most astonishing thing surrounding his story.
Thompson is 40 years old, which has raised the eyebrows of many casual fans of UFC. This is the first time the ‘Wonderboy’ will step into the ring in his 40s. His last fight came in 2022 against Kevin Holland, which ended in his favor via TKO in round four.
Stephen Thompson isn’t the first fighter to fight in his 40s, but the former professional kickboxer has remained competitive in a sport touted as a young man’s game. The win over Kevin Holland came after a two-match losing streak, which silenced some of his doubters. Reports claim that Thompson will try for one last run for the UFC title before hanging up his boots.
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Stephen Thompson has fought twice for the welterweight belt against Tyron Woodley. He drew the first time around at UFC 205 while losing the rematch in 2017. The American was undefeated as a kickboxer in 57 matches, including 20 professional clashes. At present, he is currently seventh in the UFC rankings in the Welterweight division behind Shavkat Rakhmonov, who is sixth in the rankings.
Thompson will clash with Rakhmonov on the undercard at UFC 296, in which the main event will see Leon Edwards defend his welterweight title against Colby Covington. The event will take place on December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
Oldest active fighters in the UFC
Even though Stephen Thompson is still fighting in the UFC in his 40s, which is impressive, he still isn’t the oldest active fighter on the UFC roster. A few others are still going strong in their 40s in different weight classes.
Holly Holm is currently 42 years old and still active in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. Holm is one of the oldest active fighters in the UFC, with her last coming back in July 2023, when she fought Myra Bueno Silva at UFC Fight Night.
Matt Brown is also one of the oldest active fighters in the UFC, being active in the Welterweight division at the age of 42. Brown has been part of UFC since 2008 and has fought 30 times in the promotion, with 17 wins including his fight at The Ultimate Fighter. His light fight came back in May 2023 when he went toe to toe against Court McGee.
Dana White thinks it's time for 40-fight UFC veteran and former champ Andrei Arlovski to start looking toward retirement. pic.twitter.com/iCvlefuPJz
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 6, 2023
Frankie Saenz is another fighter who has yet to hang up his boots in the UFC. The American fighter is currently 43 years old and has been in MMA since 2009 in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. Saenz last fought in the UFC back in 2020, when he fought Jonathan Martinez. Saenz is currently enjoying his double role as a fighter and a coach. He has one fight left in his UFC contract, after which he is expected to retire.
Andrei Arlovski is currently the oldest active fighter in the UFC, at 44 years old. The Pitbull last fought back in June 2023 against Don’Tale Mayes. It was the 40th fight of Arlovski’s UFC career but ended in a brutal TKO in favor of Mayes. Arlovski commented in 2021 that he desired to fight in the UFC until 45 or 46, which is looking more likely in 2023.