Photo by Alexandre Schneider /Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight strikers Stephen Thompson and Vicente Luque will go to war this Saturday (Nov. 2, 2019) at UFC 244 from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
Where does Thompson stand in 2019? The Karateka is technically on a two-fight losing streak, but he performed quite well in both losses, and he isn’t all that far removed from a strong win over Jorge Masvidal. At 36 years of age, “Wonderboy” really needs to get back into the win column if he’s to have any chance at another title run. On the other hand, Luque is just now getting the respect he deserves. Currently on a six-fight win streak with five finishes in that span, the Brazilian mauler is looking to claim the biggest win of his career and climb into the title picture.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
Stephen Thompson
Record: 14-4-1
Key Wins: Rory MacDonald (UFC Fight Night 89), Johny Hendricks (UFC Fight Night 82), Jorge Masvidal (UFC 217), Robert Whittaker (UFC 178)
Key Losses: Tyron Woodley (UFC 211), Anthony Pettis (UFC Fight Night 148), Darren Till (UFC Fight Night 130), Matt Brown (UFC 145)
Keys to Victory: Thompson is UFC’s Karate Kid. The black belt moves extraordinarily well at range, where he’s able to quickly flick up kicks, sidestep his foe’s offense, and lead with fast straight punches.
Thompson’s opponent is a very good, but pretty standard Muay Thai striker. There is nothing to Luque’s stance or offense that Thompson has not previously seen before. It’s the type of opponent that Thompson historically dances around and makes look rather average.
However, Luque is a finisher and opportunist of the highest level. In the Anthony Pettis fight, “Wonderboy” was on point and winning clearly, but Pettis saw an opening in the third and capitalized with a single punch that ended the fight. Luque presents a similar threat: he’s always dangerous, and Thompson has been getting clipped late in the fight more and more often.
As such, this is really a test of Thompson’s defense and ability to remain unpredictable late in the fight.
Vicente Luque
Record: 17-6-1
Key Wins: Mike Perry (UFC Fight Night 156), Bryan Barberena (UFC on ESPN 1), Niko Price (UFC Fight Night 119), Belal Muhammed (UFC 205), Chad Laprise (UFC Fight Night 129)
Key Losses: Leon Edwards (UFC Fight Night 107)
Keys to Victory: Luque is a violent man. The Brazilian stalks his opponents relentlessly, keeping a high guard and often waiting to counter whatever comes his way. In addition, Luque’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu is sneakily dangerous.
Fighting good Karate strikers is tricky, but there are strategies proven to work. First and foremost, it’s important to attack the legs to limit that bounce and lateral movement. Luque generally does a great job of chopping at his opponent’s legs, but he would be wise to additionally copy the tactics of Pettis and Till. Pettis repeatedly landed low kicks to the back leg of Thompson, while Till did serious damage to Thompson’s knee with a linear kicks to the knee.
Any and all of that would be helpful.
Whether on the lead or counter, Thompson likes to leap into his cross. Countering those straight shots is a great way to punish Karateka, and Luque has two excellent tools to do so: the left hook after the punch and the overhand over top the straight. Those are Luque’s moneymakers, and they happen to line up pretty well for responding to Thompson’s offense.
If Luque keeps the pressure, actively tries to counter the crosses, and digs into the legs, he gives himself the best chance at creating a serious connection.
Bottom Line: It’s a pivotal bout for both men.
Safe to say, this is a must-win fight for Thompson. At his age, there is very little chance of recovering from a third consecutive loss. There are already signs that he may be fading just a bit, which puts additional pressure on “Wonderboy” to pull through here. A title run would still be unlikely, but a victory here is at least a step in the right direction.
Luque has been hungrily eyeing the established guard of the Welterweight division for some time now, chasing his opportunity to replace them. Thompson fits that description, which means this is the match up Luque has been striving towards for quite some time. It’s nothing close to an easy fight, but there’s a lot to gain with victory for Luque. He would skyrocket up the rankings, setting himself up for perhaps a main event slot or at least another highly ranked foe.
“The Silent Assassin” believes he’s ready for the Welterweight elite, and Saturday’s outcome will determine if he’s correct.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 244 fight card this weekend RIGHT HERE, starting with the Fight Pass/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN 2 at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 244: “Masvidal vs. Diaz” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
At UFC 244, Stephen Thompson and Vicente Luque will duel. Which man will remain standing when the dust settles?