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USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Stephen Thompson critical of scoring in UFC Nashville loss: 'I didn't lose that fight'
Stephen Thompson thought he had the win in the bag at the end of his fight at UFC on ESPN 70. Stephen Thompson doesn't quite understand how he didn't get his hand raised Saturday. Thompson (17-9-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) lost a split decision to Gabriel Bonfim (18-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 70 in Nashville, Tenn. There were two 29-28's for Bonfim and one for "Wonderboy." This scoring sparked a big reaction and wave of criticism towards the judging, as many thought Thompson had done enough to win the bout. A few days removed from the event, and Thompson recalls feeling the fan frustration in the arena, as the decision was met with boos. "I felt that I did enough to win the fight," Thompson told Ariel Helwani. "Clean strikes, I felt great during my movement, I think I felt I had more damage. The damage was in my favor. Bonfim, tough fighter, hat's off to the guy. But when the crowd, the journalists, and the team are all like this shocked about the decision, I'm like, 'Something is not right.'" Thompson, a 22-fight veteran in the UFC, is 8-6-1 in the UFC when he's gone to decisions. The 42year-old is familiar with both the feeling of defeat and victory, and the reading of the scorecards didn't match the way he felt in Nashville. "I've been in this game for a long time, and I know what it feels to win a fight and I know what it feels like to lose a fight," Thompson said. "I didn't lose that fight. I feel like I didn't lose that fight." The Tennessee Athletic Commission didn't issue any type of statement on the matter. It's rare to see any athletic commission address an officiating controversy. Thompson calls for more accountability, as he would've liked to hear from the people who handed him the defeat. "I lost the fight, but I felt like I won it," Thompson said. "When you've got your family, your team, your friends and family back home, everybody who saw the fight thought I won the fight – it kind of goes back to, what do we do about that? I think there's got to be more accountability with the (judges). I know it's not the UFC's fault. It's the commission's fault. But there's got to be more transparency, for sure, when it comes to the judging of these fights."
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 70 medical suspensions: Three fighters receive 180-day terms
UFC on ESPN 70 is in the books. The dust has settled, but the bumps and bruises remain. Following Saturday's event at Bridgestone Arena in Nasvhille, Tenn., the 24 athletes who competed on the card have been suspended, per the Tennessee Athletic Commission (TAC). The suspensions range from the shortest seven days to potentially the longest 180 days. Kennedy Nzechukwu and Junior Tafa, who each suffered submission losses, as well as Mike Davis, who won his bout by TKO, each received a 180-day term. The TAC did not reveal specific injuries but rather just the durations of the suspensions. Fighters can return prior to the conclusion of their suspension term should they be cleared by a doctor. Below is the complete list. Full list of UFC on ESPN 70 medical suspensions:
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What to know ahead of Tennessee's first bare knuckle boxing card?
Professional bare knuckle boxing comes to Tennessee for the first time on June 21 as The Pinnacle in Nashville hosts one of combat sports' newest phenomena, continuing a series a summer fights which kicked off with PFL's World Tournament on June 12. The path was paved for the Volunteer state's first-ever sanctioned bare knuckle boxing event when a unified set of rules were approved by the Tennessee Athletic Commission, going into effect earlier this year. Advertisement Ahead of BKB's "Music City Brawl," here's all you need to know about bare knuckle boxing's debut in Tennessee. Tickets for BKB bare knuckle boxing in Nashville Tickets for bare knuckle boxing at The Pinnacle are available here. Buy tickets to BKB 42 in Nashville What time is bare knuckle boxing card in Nashville? BKB's bare knuckle boxing card at The Pinnacle will kick off at 6 p.m. (CT), with two preliminary fights preceding the main card, which begins at 7 p.m. (CT). Fight card start: 6 p.m. CT When was bare knuckle boxing legalized in Tennessee? The first step toward bare knuckle boxing's legalization in Tennessee came in July 2024 when the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), which the Tennessee Athletic Commission is a member of, approved a unified set of rules for the sport. Advertisement The TAC had previously been presented with data on bare knuckle boxing three years ago, but at the time the commission was not ready to move forward with the implementation of a set of rules. Following the ABC's approval last year, Tennessee's commission reviewed and ultimately established the unified rules as it made the decision to regulate the sport. The rules went into effect in Tennessee on March 5 after a rule-making hearing, opening the door for Tennessee's first sanctioned bare knuckle boxing card. More: Derrick Lewis planning Broadway celebration ahead of UFC fight in Nashville Bare knuckle boxing Nashville fight card Main card LT Nelson vs. Sam Liera Javon Wright vs. Carlos Guerra Jamie Driver vs. Helen Peralta Ike Villanueva vs. Eric Olsen Marko Martinjak vs. Maurice Morris Jarome Hatch vs. Cody East Luis Morales vs. Luis Guerrero Advertisement Preliminary fights Devin Wallace vs. Cody Cooper Caleb Austin vs. Nate Williams How to watch bare knuckle boxing in Nashville? Tennessee's first sanctioned bare knuckle boxing card will stream live on VICE in the U.S. and Canada, while talkSPORT will air the card in the U.K. and Ireland. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. Harrison Campbell covers boxing for The Tennessean and high school sports for The Daily Herald. Email him at hcampbell@ and follow him on Twitter @hccamp. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: BKB Nashville: Tickets, time for bare knuckle boxing's Tennessee debut
