There are only a handful of fighters who have competed at a high level in the UFC once they passed the 40-year mark, but Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson knows he’s more than just a number.

A perennial top-10 contender in the welterweight division, Thompson returns at UFC 307 for a fight against Joaquin Buckley. Having celebrated his 41st birthday earlier this year, he inevitably gets quizzed about how much longer he plans on fighting. Though that may be a natural curiosity given his age, Thompson promises he’s not going anywhere after Oct. 5 but back to his gym to begin training for his next UFC appearance.

“People are looking down on me because I’m 41,” Thompson told MMA Fighting. “I feel just as good at 41 as I did when I was 25. I don’t have the crazy injuries. I’m smart with my training. I’m just as fast. Just as crafty. I’m improving in every aspect of the game.”

Perhaps the better question for Thompson isn’t regarding how much longer he has left to fight, but rather what kinds of goals does he want to pursue in the future?

Thompson twice fought for a UFC title and he’s never shied away from going for gold again, but his drive these days isn’t necessarily predicated on whether or not he becomes champion.

It might sound hokey, but he actually prefers to take a big picture approach to his career these days rather than any single purpose taking precedence.

“The title is always there but I think at this age and the more that I’ve trained and seen champions and their mindsets, the goal is to always better myself in training,” Thompson said. “My test to that is to fight in the UFC, is to fight these studs, the best of the best in the world and that’s where I get my glory from.

“I train, I’m a lifelong martial artist, I’m constantly trying to get better and my test is to fight the best in the world.”

Typically speaking when fighters start to get a little older, UFC CEO Dana White often mentions some variation of the phrase that “Father Time is undefeated” and that age eventually catches up to everyone.

That probably strikes fear in the hearts of many athletes, but don’t count Thompson among them.

“I like being 41 and being in the UFC,” Thompson said with a smile. “It’s cool to have guys that are on the same card as you asking for your autograph. There was a point where I was in the UFC and nobody was wanting my autograph, not even fighters, not even fans.

“Now it’s to the point where fighters, guys that are in the UFC making a name for themselves, are asking for my autograph. Are you kidding me? I think it’s the coolest thing in the world. So they look at me as a veteran but not just that but as one of the best.”’

Prior to his fight being booked at UFC 307, Thompson was actually gifted a rather hilarious nickname that sounds like it’s related to his age after he ran into Buckley and a former opponent at UFC 303 in June.

“During International Fight Week, [Joaquin Buckley] was begging for [the fight],” Thompson explained. “He was like ‘Wonderboy’ let’s make this thing happen.’ It was funny because Kevin Holland was there, too, and Kevin Holland was calling Joaquin Buckley his son. [He was saying] ‘Nah, son’ and then he comes up to me and said, ‘Yo, granddad.’ I’m like, granddad?

“He’s like, ‘You beat me and I beat him so you can’t be fighting grandson.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God,’ they had me cracking up.”

Currently riding a four-fight win streak since moving to welterweight, Buckley has been champing at the bit to get a higher-ranked opponent and Thompson became his target. While he’s never backed down from a challenge, Thompson has seen plenty of fighters in his position pass on those kinds of call-outs because they’re not interested in opponents below them in the top 15.

Thompson never understood that mentality, especially after he had to travel down the same road when he first arrived in the UFC and needed ranked opposition to give him the chance to prove himself. Now he’s just doing the same thing for Buckley.

“With somebody like him, I’ve never strayed away from anybody challenging me,” Thompson said. “I always love giving those guys that are not ranked in the top 10 a shot at coming up. Just like the Jake Ellenbergers did for me, the Rory MacDonalds, the Johny Hendricks’ did for me. I wasn’t even ranked in the top 10 when I got offered those guys and they took it.

“You’ve got so many guys now in the welterweight division who are trying to hold on to their spot and not let any of these other guys get a chance. I was given a chance. It’s my turn to go back and give these guys a chance to come up and try to get that title, make them earn it.”