Stephen Thompson is sending a message to his fans following his recent loss to Belal Muhammad.
The welterweight division might have a new contender in the mix. On Saturday night, Belal Muhammad defeated former title contender Stephen Thompson. Muhammad won by unanimous decision and solidified his place as a force in the division.
As for Thompson, it is unclear where he will go following the loss. Sunday, he released a statement to his fans about his latest performance.
“I want to apologize to my coaches, my family, and my fans for my performance,” Thompson wrote. “I’m motivated not broken.”
This is the second loss in a row for Thompson and the fourth out of his last six fights. Prior to the loss, Thompson was sitting in the #5 spot of the rankings. He will most likely move further down the list and further away from another title shot.
Thompson is 38 years old and has been fighting professionally since 2010. It seems retirement is far from his mind considering his “motivated” statement. Despite the setback, Thompson will continue to fight in the UFC as long as he can. He spoke recently in an interview about wanting to be the oldest fighter on the UFC roster.
“I want to break records, man. I wanna be the oldest guy who ever fought in the UFC. They are going to have to bring out a senior division or something,” he said. “It’s the plan. I will do this as long as my body will let me or when my dad says I’m done.”
When Thompson finally decides to hang up his gloves, he will have plenty of other opportunities. He is a martial arts teacher for children at his family gym and has recently been involved in the Netflix Cobra Kai series.
Who do you want to see Stephen Thompson fight next after his UFC Vegas 45 loss?
