What was supposed to be the UFC 196 co-main event is now the UFC Fight Night 82 main event.
No. 2-ranked welterweight contender Johny Hendricks (17-3) meets No. 8-ranked Stephen Thompson (11-1) Saturday in Las Vegas.
Since 2013, Hendricks is 3-2 with two split-decision losses in title tilts (Georges St-Pierre, Robbie Lawler). His last match was a victory over Matt Brown, but he had to be pulled from a UFC 192 contest against Tyron Woodley due to medical issues after a poor weight cut.
In that same time span, Thompson is 5-0. After dropping a fight to Brown at UFC 145, Thompson has become one of the hottest fighters in the UFC. Thompson’s spinning-hook-kick knockout of Jake Ellenberger moved him solidly into contention at 170 pounds.
This fight will have a significant impact on the title picture. So, who has the edge this Saturday?
That is what we will take a gander at in this head-to-toe breakdown of UFC Fight Night 82’s main event.