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UFC Vegas 17 Results: Thompson vs. Neal

LowKick MMA will be bringing you UFC Vegas 17: Thompson vs. Neal Results throughout the night (Sat. 19th. December 2020) from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the promotion’s final event of the year, originally slated to take co-main event status, a welterweight pairing of two-time title challenger, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and rising contender, Geoff […]

LowKick MMA will be bringing you UFC Vegas 17: Thompson vs. Neal Results throughout the night (Sat. 19th. December 2020) from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the promotion’s final event of the year, originally slated to take co-main event status, a welterweight pairing of two-time title challenger, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and rising contender, Geoff ‘Handz of Steel’ Neal round out 2020 for the organization in a five-round headliner.

Making his first Octagon appearance since UFC 244 in November of last year ar Madison Square Garden, Thompson looks to improve on an impressive unanimous decision win over Vicente Luque over three frames, as he tackles fellow striking ace, Fortis MMA staple, Neal.

It’s a battle of two of the most technical strikers at 170-pounds today, with Wonderboy’s karate-bouncing style pitted opposite a traditional kickboxing flow of Sayif Saud product, Neal — who has knocked back five contenders in a row on his way to tonight’s first main event outing.

Neal, an alum of Dana White’s Contender Series most recently made an Octagon walk at UFC 245 in December last, stopping the outspoken, ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry with a high-kick followed by strikes in the opening-round. It’s a battle of striking styles tonight, with the victor emerging on the cusp of a potential title-eliminator next.

Promoted to the co-headliner as a result of Thompson and Neal’s reworked pairing, former UFC feathrweight kingpin, Jose Aldo ‘Jr.’ looks to snap a three-fight slide and nab his first win at bantamweight since his division move at the end of last year. Dropping a close split decision loss to one-time title challenger, ‘Magic’ Marlon Moraes, Aldo still competed for undisputed vacant bantamweight spoils against Petr ‘No Mercy’ Yan in July at UFC 251, dropping a late ground-and-pound loss.

Standing across from the Manaus favourite is streaking bantamweight contender, Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. A winner of six-straight at 135-pounds, the Ecuadorian finisher last featured at UFC 252 in August in another co-main event slot, finishing ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley late in the opening-round with strikes, after he connected with a damaging calf kick which exacerbated a prior leg injury.

UFC Vegas 17 Results: Thompson vs. Neal

Main Card (ESPN+ 7 p.m. ET)

Welterweight: Stephen Thompson vs. Geoff Neal

Bantamweight: Jose Aldo vs. Marlon Vera

Welterweight: Michel Pereira vs. Khaos Williams

Bantamweight: Marlon Moraes vs. Rob Font

Heavyweight: Marcin Tybura vs. Greg Hardy

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ 4 p.m. ET)

Welterweight: Anthony Pettis vs. Alex Morono

Bantamweight: Sijara Eubanks vs. Pannie Kianzad

Catchweight (195-pounds): Deron Winn vs. Antonio Arroyo

Flyweight: Gillian Robertson vs. Talia Santos

Middleweight: Tafon Nchukwi vs. Jamie Pickett

Flyweight: Jimmy Flick vs. Cody Durden

Catchweight: Christos Giagos vs. Carlton Minus

Stephen Thompson vs. Geoff Neal – UFC Vegas 17 Staff Predictions

Jordan Ellis: I really fancy Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson heading into this UFC Vegas 17 main event. Last time out he looked sensational against Vicente Luque and I really think he could mount another UFC title challenge. Geoff Neal is a good prospect but is heading into the toughest fight of his career off the back […]

Jordan Ellis: I really fancy Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson heading into this UFC Vegas 17 main event. Last time out he looked sensational against Vicente Luque and I really think he could mount another UFC title challenge. Geoff Neal is a good prospect but is heading into the toughest fight of his career off the back of probably the toughest year of his life. I’m interested to see how he looks tonight after everything but I suspect over five rounds Thompson will just have too much for him.

Prediction: Stephen Thompson

Karim Nathan: I really like this card and I feel like it going under the radar a little bit. For the main event, I feel like we’ll see a fight thats a bit similar to Wonderboy’s last fight where Neal will keep coming forward while Wonderboy will pick his shots, the only difference being that this is a 5 rounder so I think Neal will fatigue and Wonderboy will finish him off in the 4th or 5th round. This fight also has a very good chance of being fight of the night.

Prediction: Stephen Thompson

Ross Markey: Stephen Thompson vs. Geoff Neal could really determine the best technical striking talent at welterweight today. Thompson, a tricky, difficult to time karate practitioner with masterful movement, counters, and ability to distance himself correctly. Neal, a more traditional kickboxer out of Sayif Saud’s family at Fortis MMA – who I’d give the more lethal edge to in this showdown. It’s very difficult to look good against Wonderboy, and even though he’s suffered defeats against Tyron Woodley, Darren Till, and Anthony Pettis of note recently, none of those three had a spectacular showing against the Simpsonville native. I’m siding with Karim on this one: Wonderboy to knock back the surging Neal over a five-round judging win.

Prediction: Stephen Thompson

Ryan MacCarthy: I think Wonderboy Thompson get it done here. I think it might be a little too much too early for Neal here. Im not a fan of this matchup for the very talented Geoff Neal. I think Wonderboy is going to be too savvy for him on the feet, and Neal might underestimate him a little. It’s a five-round fight, and I believe Wonderboy can knock Neal out in five rounds. He won’t do it early, but I think after touching him enough times, he’ll knock him out. I see. Thompson winning this by 4th round KO.

Prediction: Stephen Thompson

Alex Lough: I know we all wanted to see Khamzat, but Wonderboy vs Neal is an absolute banger that deserves to be 5 rounds. Like Karim said, this whole card is great, despite being ravaged by COVID. As for the fight, I think we all know that this is going to be a kickboxing match in MMA gloves. On paper it looks like the young lion in Neal is being sent in to take out the old guard in Thompson, but Wonderboy’s recent stretch isn’t as bad as it looks. The fights against Woodley were weird, the Till decision was razor close, and he was beating the brakes off Pettis until he got caught. That being said, he did get caught, and that’s what gives me concern. Thompson’s game is built around his movement, and that tends to slip with old age. Even losing just a step against someone like Neal, who is just as technical and has more power in his punches, could change things in the blink of an eye. I think the longer the fight goes, the more it favours Thompson, but I also think he gets caught before then. Neal by 3rd round KO.

Prediction: Geoff Neal

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Stephen Thompson Eyeing Jorge Masvidal Rematch With Win Over Geoff Neal

Stephen Thompson is targeting a rematch with Jorge Masvidal. Thompson looks to make it two wins in a row when he takes on the dangerous Geoff Neal in the UFC Vegas 17 headliner this weekend. A win would certainly put the former title challenger back in contention to possibly get a third crack at the […]

Stephen Thompson is targeting a rematch with Jorge Masvidal.

Thompson looks to make it two wins in a row when he takes on the dangerous Geoff Neal in the UFC Vegas 17 headliner this weekend.

A win would certainly put the former title challenger back in contention to possibly get a third crack at the welterweight strap.

After all, “Wonderboy” has long spoken of wanting to face a top-five opponent and should he get the victory this weekend, he wants to throw down with Masvidal again.

“My last two guys I fought were ranked number 11, so I think with a good win over Geoff Neal, the UFC’s like ‘You know, let’s give this guy a top five guy,’” Thompson said in a recent interview (via Middle Easy). “I know that Jorge Masvidal has considered fighting me in the past, recently, and try to get that win back. So he’s definitely at the top of the list, would love to see that fight.

“I know him and Colby Covington, there’s talks about them fighting but nothing on paper yet. I think a good win over Geoff Neal puts me in that limelight to face somebody in the top five, and hopefully in 2021, my goal is to be champion.”

Thompson, of course, comfortably outpointed Masvidal when they met on the main card of UFC 217 back in November 2017.

However, Masvidal has come leaps and bounds since then and has also become one of the most popular fighters on the roster. Not to mention, he is currently ranked one spot above Thompson at No. 4.

A rematch between the pair would also be a clash between the NMF and BMF and it would definitely be interesting to see how things go a second time.

Would you like to see this fight next? Who wins?