Stephen Thompson Details Memory Issues From KO Loss To Anthony Pettis

Anthony Pettis proved why he’s called “Showtime” this past weekend (Sat. March 23, 2019) in Nashville. The former lightweight champion defeated two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson with a spectacular second round knockout.

Pettis used the momentum of the Octagon to bounce off and deliver a perfectly placed superman punch. The strike rendered Thompson unconscious for the first time in his mixed martial arts career. Speaking to “The MMA Hour” yesterday (Mon. March 25, 2019), Thompson revealed that he doesn’t remember much about the knockout or the moments after the finish.

He remembers the first round of his fight with Pettis very well, but not the second. He also doesn’t remember being out in the cage or his walk backstage:

“I remember the first round very well and I don’t remember the second round very well,” Thompson said. “But, I remember going back to the corner and having his blood all over my chest.

“I’m looking and he’s leaking from his nose and I’m like ‘Man, did I break his nose?’ After that, it’s kind of blank. I literally come to in the back. I see Chris Weidman, I see my mom, I see my brother and I don’t remember being out in the cage or walking back or taking pictures with everybody. I don’t remember that at all.”

As for why that strike was able to knock him out – when he has clearly been hit harder in the past by opponents such as Tyron Woodley – Thompson couldn’t quite put his finger on it. The only conclusion he can come up with is that it was a perfectly placed shot:

“I know I’ve been hit harder than that, I know Tyron has hit me harder that,” Thompson said. “Why did this punch affect me like it did? The only thing I can think of is it just being right on the money. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.

“I threw a sidekick that kind of glanced off him and put me in a bad position where my right foot was trailing to the outside of him, which put me closer to him. I know his back was to the cage, so all he had to do was lunge forward and, of course, when you’re throwing your punch with your whole body behind it, it makes it that much more powerful and the last three or four inches is where the power comes from.

“So, throwing that straight right down the pipe, that’s what did it. It took me a while to figure it out and go back and watch it. It didn’t look like it was that much. Especially after Tyron put me down and didn’t put me away. I’m sitting there thinking ‘Why was that?’ But, you know, it doesn’t have to take a gorilla of a punch to put you away. You put it right on the spot and that’s all it takes.”