UFC fighters Alex Pereira and Stephen Thompson have a glorious past related to their kickboxing careers. Both fighters held an impressive kickboxing record before their UFC careers began. In this article, we compare the kickboxing careers of Brazilian fighter Pereira and American fighter Thompson.
Born on July 7, 1987, Pereira began his kickboxing training in 2009. According to reports, he did so to go rid of his alcohol addiction. Early in his career, the ‘Poatan’ fought numerous bouts in WGP Kickboxing.
In 2014, he won the Glory 14: Zagreb – Middleweight Contender Tournament. Following this, he won more bouts in WGP Kickboxing and won the 85kg title. Later, he took part in Glory 40: Copenhagen in 2017 and lost in the final against Yousri Belgaroui. In October 2017, Pereira won the Glory Middleweight Championship and defended the title five times. In between, he won the interim Glory Light Heavyweight title.
His glorious career got even better when he won the title outright and held two Glory titles together. Reports suggest, he was later stripped of the Middleweight title. In September 2021, he lost his latest Kickboxing bout and in the process lost his Glory Light Heavyweight Title. Pereira holds a 33-7 record in professional kickboxing.
If Pereira’s record seemed impressive, wait till you read about the undefeated Thompson. Yes, Thompson went undefeated throughout his kickboxing career. Born on February 11, 1983, Thompson began his career in combat sports because his father owned a karate school. His father knew his quality and made a 15-year-old Thompson fight a 26-year-old 20-0 fighter. Against all odds, Thompson won that bout beginning an impressive career.
Thompson held a 37-0 record in amateur full-contact kickboxing and went on to keep a 20-0 record in professional kickboxing. After making his debut in MMA, Thompson went on to win six more fights before facing his first loss.
Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson earned their nicknames due to their kickboxing days
Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira has earned his nickname due to his magnificent striking power. According to UOL, his first kickboxing coach Belocqua Wera is the one who gave him this nickname. ‘Poatan’ translates to ‘Strong hands’ in the indigenous language Tupi-Guarani. However, Pereira’s indigenous ancestry is from the Pataxo tribe.
On the other hand, Thompson earned his nickname after his famed fight against an older opponent. In an interview from 2017, he said, “People ask me when I’m going to change it to ‘Wonderman’. When I was 15, I fought a guy who was 26 and he was 20-0, undefeated. It was a way for my dad to show me that I was better than I thought.
“I ended up beating the brakes off this 26-year-old guy. After the fight, the announcer asked my opponent how it felt. He answered, ‘I wonder why I stepped in the ring with that boy.’” According to TalkSport, the announcer pounced on this opportunity and called him the ‘Wonderboy’.
Both fighters have left behind a legacy in kickboxing and are making a big name for themselves in the MMA world as well.
