Biography(references)Thompson was born on February 11, 1983, in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Thompson started training at the age of three, under the guidance of his father, Ray Thompson, a former professional kickboxer and owner of Upstate Karate, a karate school in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Thompson started competing in kickboxing and karate at the age of 15. He holds black belt ranks in Tetsushin-ryū Kempo, American Kickboxing and Jujutsu.
Combat ApproachThis karate background is evident in the stance he adopts, as his feet stand far apart and he sits wide with his hands low. This style is very uncommon in MMA, with most fighters having a background in wrestling or jiu-jitsu, or striking arts like boxing, muay thai, or other styles of kickboxing. Thompson is more suited to keeping his hands low than other fighters who adopt more orthodox MMA stances, as he can negate the risk of being hit with a clean shot to the head through his footwork and rapid movement.
Fighter Trivia(references)Thompson's sister is married to Carlos Machado and Thompson's brother, Tony, is married to Chris Weidman's sister. In 2017, he signed a contract with international modeling agency IMG Models.
Awards & Accolades
UFC: Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Dan Stittgen
UFC: Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Robert Whittaker, Jake Ellenberger, Johny Hendricks, and Geoff Neal
UFC: Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Tyron Woodley and Vicente Luque
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