Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis was the first man to knock out Stephen Thompson.
Anthony Pettis and Stephen Thompson clashed in a prototypical striking specialist main event in March 2019. The two welterweights were fighting for title contention in what was one of the biggest fights of the year.
Pettis opted to return to the welterweight division after trading wins and losses to the likes of Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, and Max Holloway. Thompson, who fell short of a UFC title in back-to-back fights against Tyron Woodley, was looking to get back into the title mix after a loss to Darren Till.
The UFC Nashville main event delivered in a big way with a massive come-from-behind knockout.
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Anthony Pettis handed Stephen Thompson his first career knockout loss with one punch
Thompson had his way early on with Pettis, utilizing his length and range to frustrate Pettis and leave his opponent’s back up against the fence. Pettis struggled to produce significant output over the first round of the fight, as Thompson opened up a nasty gash on his face.
Thompson poured on the pressure in Round 2 and at one point left the former UFC champion Pettis on the verge of a potential stoppage. But with five seconds left in Round 2, Pettis bounced off the cage and threw a superman punch that landed clean to Thompson’s chin, knocking him out instantly.
As the Nashville crowd went into a frenzy, Pettis chose a unique way to celebrate his win, by tasting his own blood from the gash on his face.
Watch Pettis’s finish below.
Pettis became the first man to knock out Thompson during the latter’s MMA career. Thompson hadn’t been knocked out or submitted through his first 18 professional MMA fights.
Pettis went on to suffer losses to Nate Diaz and Diego Ferreira before signing with the PFL in 2021. He hasn’t fought in MMA since 2022, and returned to boxing last July in a unanimous decision loss to Chris Avila.
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UFC fans are upset with Stephen Thompson’s next booking amid recent skid
Flash forward to 2025, and Thompson is days away from making his return to the UFC Octagon as he looks to bounce back from a second ferocious knockout loss. Thompson will face Gabriel Bonfim this Saturday in Nashville in his first fight since being knocked out by Joaquin Buckley at UFC 307 last October.
UFC fans aren’t happy with the matchmakers’ decision to book Thompson against an up-and-coming star like Bonfim for his comeback fight. Thompson has lost four of his last five fights, with the lone exception being a TKO win over Kevin Holland in December 2022.
The 42-year-old Thompson will look to turn back the clock and treat fans to another highlight-reel win at UFC Nashville. A loss against Bonfim could potentially spell the end of Thompson’s UFC tenure.