Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has two goals this weekend.

His first is to defeat Anthony “Showtime” Pettis in the five-round main event of UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ in Nashville, Tennessee.

His second is to emerge relatively unscathed, allowing him to headline UFC’s first-ever foray into South Carolina three months hence.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, has announced that it will bring its popular mixed martial arts program to Greenville’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena on June 22, and hometown hero Thompson is counting on being part of the program.

“To be able to headline that would be a dream come true, not only for myself but also the fighters who want to make it in UFC from my hometown,” Thompson said. “It’s booming. The MMA community is coming on strong in Greenville, so it would be cool to bring that for them.”

Three fights already are on the undercard: a heavyweight battle between North Carolina’s Allen Crowder and kickboxing champion Jairzinho Rozenstruik; a middleweight fight between Bevon Lewis and Darren Stewart; and a women’s strawweight bout featuring Ashley “Spider Monkey” Yoder and Syuri Kondo.

“We could just pack that place out,” said Thompson, whose first career mixed martial arts fight came in 2011 in front of a crowd he estimated at 14,000 at the arena. “And that wasn’t even a UFC event.”

Bringing the UFC to his home state has been a long-held vision for Thompson.

“I would love it because most of the time my hometown can’t make it,” Thompson said. “Most of the time I’m fighting in either Las Vegas or New York City. I have family and friends that go, but just to be able to bring it to Greenville so everybody can actually be a part would be a dream come true.”

The Greenville event will include 12 or 13 bouts, with both the prelims and the main card streamed on the ESPN+ service.

But first comes Thompson’s Saturday night fight with Pettis at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Thompson, who is currently the No. 3 contender in the welterweight division, brings a 14-3-1 record into the main event while Pettis, who is making his welterweight debut after being a lightweight champion, is 21-8.

“I’ve always prepared for a five-round war and that’s what I’m expecting,” said the 36-year-old Thompson, who’s a longtime instructor at his family’s karate studio in Simpsonville. “He’s a very tough opponent with high-level striking ability and even though he’s coming from a lower weight class I’m not taking this guy lightly. It’s going to be super exciting for the fans. It’s going to be two ninjas out there trying to see who’s better.”