Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson served notice that he remains among the most high caliber strikers in the UFC’s welterweight division as he blitzed Geoff Neal in a conclusive five-round main event in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Former two-time title challenger Thompson was on the front foot throughout the fight, beating former ‘Contender Series’ standout Neal – winner of five straight under the UFC banner – to the punch in practically every exchange en route to being awarded a unanimous score of 50-45 on each of the judges’ cards.
All ❤️!@WonderboyMMA with a striking masterclass to close out the year on top! #UFCVegas17pic.twitter.com/sL9cBAfV9N
The results rarely looked in doubt, even from the early exchanges after the opening bell. Thompson, the UFC’s premier karate specialist, used his dynamic arsenal to stifle the game Neal who, despite displaying impressive heart, rarely found any type of foundation with which to pressure his opponent.
Wow!! What a fight! Let’s go @WonderboyMMA!!
Woooow Standing round of applause please! #UFCVegas17
Wonderboy is efficient & tough to hit ! #UFCVegas17
Thompson’s jab was prevalent throughout and he used a strategy of landing kicks to the body each time Neal tried to push forward, and this was the scenario for much of the fight – as ‘Wonderboy’ proved that he can still be considered a viable threat to the welterweight division’s top-ranked contenders.
“Feels great,” Thompson said after his name was announced as the victor. “I’ve been off for a year. Broke both my hands in my last fight a year ago at UFC 244. This is the longest time I’ve actually been off in the fight game for a while. Just glad to be back. Geoff is a tough, tough opponent.”
Wonderboy gets better as the fight gets more competitive. Neal is gonna be even sharper after this fight. Great fight to close out the year???????? #UFCVegas17
Stephen Thompson is like the karate version of Muhammad Ali.
Great main event Both guys class acts I can’t wait to get back to work next year InshAllah
The win is Thompson’s second straight and comes after a decision win against Vicente Luque at the aforementioned UFC 244 event last November.
Afterwards, Thompson called for a rematch with an opponent he defeated relatively easily three years ago – Jorge Masvidal.
“Wonderboy’s still here,” Thompson declared. “That title, 2021, I’m telling you is going to be mine. I want to see the NMF versus the BMF. Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson vs. Jorge Masvidal 2.”
