For the first time in nearly two years, the UFC is going back into Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The card will be headlined with a battle 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 a -380 favorite to do so, while Pettis is competing in welterweight for the first time in 11 years and is now a +290 underdog. I have a breakdown and select for each fight on the main card.
Shark Bites
Stephen Thompson only absorbs 2.51 significant strikes per minute.
Stephen Thompson hasn’t dropped conflicts.
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 past four fights, including a draw and a loss against Tyron Woodley in his two efforts to get the welterweight strap and also a unanimous-decision defeat to Darren Till last May. Prior to this new rough patch, Wonderboy had gone 13-1, including successes over now-middleweight winner Robert Whittaker and present Bellator welterweight champ Rory MacDonald.
The 36-year-old is a very talented kickboxer who puts an emphasis on stage fighting instead of going all out to the knockout. That having been said, if you pressure him, he has the power to put one to sleep as seven of his 14 professional wins have come by T/KO, however he hasn’t earned a victory in that manner since 2016. Thompson fights long and is very fast, picking his opponents apart when in kicking range.
Pettis (+290) was on a win-one, lose-one streak on 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 under the UFC bannerhaving just 1 bout at the weight class back in 2008, when he earned a first-round knockout over Gabe Walbridge.
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