Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson will take on Geoff Neal in the main event at UFC Vegas 17. The event was originally scheduled to be headlined by fellow welterweights Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards. However, a positive COVID test ruled Edwards out of the fight.
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This gave way for ‘Wonderboy’ and ‘Handz of Steel’ to headline the event. Thompson is currently ranked 5th in the division whilst Neal is ranked 11th. The fight will be an excellent opportunity for both men to gain a few rungs in the divisional ladder.
Read: Stephen Thompson wants Jorge Masvidal to fight him next
Stephen Thompson vs Geoff Neal set to be a treat at welterweight
‘Wonderboy’ made his UFC debut in February 2012 with a win over Daniel Stittgen. He has since established himself as one of the best fighters at 170-pounds. Thompson bounced back from a two-fight skid with an impressive win over Vicente Luque last November.
Neal made his debut on Dana White’s Contender Series in June 2017 with a TKO win over Chase Waldon. He has since won all his fights in the UFC and is 6-0 in the promotion. He last fought Mike Perry in December 2019 and secured a TKO win.
Thompson has secured an even number of his wins via decision and T/KO. He is without a doubt not only one of the best strikers at welterweight but also in the UFC period. Therefore, it is no secret that his best route to victory will be to keep the fight on the feet.
In his UFC career, he has landed an impressive 3.93 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 44%. In return, he has absorbed only 2.73 significant strikes. Thompson may not have inhuman knockout power, but he is extremely precise in his striking.
Neal on the other hand has secured a mind-boggling 62% of his wins via T/KO. He has landed on overage 2.25 knockdowns per 15 minutes. ‘Handz of Steel’ landed an insane 6 significant strikes per minute and has absorbed only 3.78 in return. Therefore ‘Wonderboy’ will have to be extremely cautious as Neal possesses deadly knockout power.
Given the recent form and performances, Neal should be able to secure the 8th straight win of his career.
Prediction: Geoff Neal via TKO
