For the first time in nearly two decades, the UFC is going back to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The card will be headlined with a conflict in the welterweight division as Stephen»Wonderboy» Thompson stands toe to toe with Anthony»Showtime» Pettis. Thompson is looking to get back in the win column for the first time since November 2017 and is now a -380 favorite to accomplish this, while Pettis is competing in welterweight for the very first time in 11 decades and is now a +290 underdog. I have a breakdown and select for every single fight on the primary card.
Shark Bites
Stephen Thompson only absorbs 2.51 significant strikes per minute.
Stephen Thompson hasn’t lost fights.
Anthony Pettis is 3-6 in his last nine fights.
Stephen Thompson vs Anthony Pettis
Thompson (-380) is about the worst stretch of his career, going 1-2-1 in his last four fights, such as a draw and a loss against Tyron Woodley in his two efforts for the welterweight strap plus also a unanimous-decision defeat to Darren Until last May. Prior to the new rough patch, Wonderboy had gone 13-1, including victories over now-middleweight winner Robert Whittaker and current Bellator welterweight champ Rory MacDonald.
The 36-year-old is a really talented kickboxer who puts an emphasis on point fighting instead of going all out for the knockout. That being said, if you pressure him, he has the power to put you to sleep because seven of his 14 professional wins have come by T/KO, however he has not earned a victory in that manner since 2016. Thompson fights long and is extremely fast, picking his enemies apart when in kicking range.
Pettis (+290) has been on a win-one, lose-one series over his last seven fights and most recently lost to Tony Ferguson in UFC 229 when he broke his hand in the next round. Showtime is competing at the welterweight division for the first time beneath the UFC banner, having just 1 bout at that weight class back in 2008, when he earned a first-round knockout over Gabe Walbridge.
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