Stephen Thompson ‘Definitely’ Wants Tyron Woodley Rematch Next

UFC 205 produced some of the most entertaining fights that combat sports fans have had the pleasure of witnessing in quite some time, as three title fights rounded out the historic card form Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the co-main event of the evening the UFC’s welterweight title would be on the

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UFC 205 produced some of the most entertaining fights that combat sports fans have had the pleasure of witnessing in quite some time, as three title fights rounded out the historic card form Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In the co-main event of the evening the UFC’s welterweight title would be on the line as champion Tyron ‘The Chosen One’ Woodley would look to make his first career title defense against elite striker Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. The 170-pound title contest proved to be one of the most entertaining bouts of the year, where Woodley nearly ended the fight on multiple occasions, however, Thompson’s heart and will would prevail to see the contest go the distance.

After much confusion from the judges and their score card readings, the contest was declared a draw and ‘The Chose One’ would remain the division’s champion for the time being. During the post-fight press conference following the event’s conclusion, ‘Wonderboy’ stated that although the result was disappointing he is still looking forward to sharing the Octagon with Woodley once again:

“It was better than what it was in the beginning. Having him win the title and then they came back and said it was a draw. I take it,” Thompson said (courtesy of FOX Sports). “It’s not a win, obviously, so it’s definitely disappointing but hopefully we can do it again.

“Hopefully we can get this fight happening again. Getting up, getting ‘Fight of the Night’ that was exciting, I know the fans loved it.”

In the fourth round of the contest Woodley landed a vicious overhand right that put Thompson on the mat, to which ‘The Chosen One’ would eventually lock in a deep guillotine choke that seemed to spell the end for ‘Wonderboy’. Thompson would instead fight his way out of the hold, closing out the round in top position while reigning down a few shots before the closing horn.

Adam Hunger for USA TODAY Sports
Adam Hunger for USA TODAY Sports

Despite almost being finished in the fourth round by Woodley, Thompson believes he still took home the second, third, and fifth rounds to win the contest:

“Ended up getting my head out and threw a few shots right after that and the bell rung. In the beginning, (the choke) was very close, yes.”

“I thought I pulled it out in the last round just by out pointing him,” Thompson said. “He definitely took the first round. He took the first round that was it. Busted me up with a few good elbows, few good shots, I was a little hesitant during this fight.

“I knew he liked to explode in and throw that big right hand. Hit him with a few jabs. I knew how strong he was in the clinch position, which led me to be a little more hesitant closing the gap and I shouldn’t have done that. I should have let it all out.”

Now that the dust has settled on the controversial majority draw decision, Thompson is ready to jump back inside the Octagon for round six with Woodley in effort to capture his first career UFC title:

“I think the fans and everybody were really excited. I think they were entertained,” Thompson said. “Definitely want to do that again.”

While Thompson may want to get his rematch at the welterweight title next, recent circumstances have now landed UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor as a possible opponent for Woodley next. With Demian Maia also waiting in the wings for his title opportunity, will ‘Wonderboy’ get his wish and get the immediate rematch with ‘The Chosen One’?

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Poll: Was UFC 205 The Best MMA Event Of All Time?

With tonight’s (Sat., November 12, 2016) historic UFC 205 in the record books from Madison Square Garden in New York City, the collective MMA world can now bask in the glory of a so-called ‘super card’ that actually delivered to the point of legitimately being in the conversation for the best mixed martial arts event

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With tonight’s (Sat., November 12, 2016) historic UFC 205 in the record books from Madison Square Garden in New York City, the collective MMA world can now bask in the glory of a so-called ‘super card’ that actually delivered to the point of legitimately being in the conversation for the best mixed martial arts event of all time.

The card featured UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor making history by stopping lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez to become the first concurrent two-weight champion in UFC history in the main event, yet it also featured so, so much more. New York City’s first major MMA event also showcased the absolutely insane back-and-forth war between Tyron Woodley Stephen Thompson in the co-main event in addition to Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s entertaining women’s strawweight title bout versus a very game Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

The main card had more drama still, with Yoel Romero knocking out former champ Chris Weidman with a picturesque flying knee and Miesha Tate’s shocking retirement after her decision loss to Raquel Pennington. Finally, the prelims were home to even more exciting fights, as Frankie Edgar once again showed his legendary heart by surviving a huge head kick from Jeremy Stephens to outlast the power-hitting “Lil’ Heathen,” while top lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov picked up his first win over a top competitor in two-and-a-half years when he submitted Michael Johnson after a dominant wrestling display.

All in all, it was a legendary event that made a strong case for the best MMA event ever. Do you think it earned that lofty title?

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Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson Full Fight Video Highlights

Tyron Woodley and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson threw down in a classic welterweight title bout in the co-main event of tonight’s (Sat., November 12, 2016) UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden in New York City, but it wasn’t without its fair share of uncertainty. It was a back-and-forth affair that saw the champion control Thompson with his respected

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Tyron Woodley and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson threw down in a classic welterweight title bout in the co-main event of tonight’s (Sat., November 12, 2016) UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden in New York City, but it wasn’t without its fair share of uncertainty.

It was a back-and-forth affair that saw the champion control Thompson with his respected NCAA All-American wrestling game as he bloodied the surging challenger with an elbow. In the following two rounds, Thompson was able to use his top-notch striking game to pressure the champion with stifling punches, but he didn’t seem to unload his usual volume.

In the fourth, it was nearly over when Woodley dropped the challenger with some big shots, following to the mat with what appeared to be a fight-ending guillotine that “Wonderboy” somehow endured to actually land in top position to rain down shots as the round expired. Thompson controlled the fifth on a tired Woodley, but it apparently wasn’t enough to get him the win, as it Bruce Buffer went through some confusion before reading off a 47-47, 47-47, 48-47 split decision win for Woodley.

But it was then re-announced as a majority draw in a wild fight that will be almost certainly happen again. Until then, watch the full fight video highlights of the riveting fight right here:

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UFC 205 Predictions: Will Conor McGregor Make History In New York?

The wait is over and tonight’s (Sat., November 12, 2016) UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden in New York City is finally here. With it comes arguably the most jam-packed night of fights in ever, and indeed each main card bout presents pivotal implications for each division. And it should, a there are three title

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The wait is over and tonight’s (Sat., November 12, 2016) UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden in New York City is finally here.

With it comes arguably the most jam-packed night of fights in ever, and indeed each main card bout presents pivotal implications for each division. And it should, a there are three title fights and a title contender bout up for grabs.

That makes for an extremely exciting night of MMA that finally emanates from New York City. Without further ado, find out whom we picked to win every bout on the biggest main card in MMA history below….

miesha tate vs. jessica eye
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Miesha Tate vs. Raquel Pennington:

Mike Drahota:

This women’s bantamweight scrap is a great one to kick off the UFC 205 main card, and I also think it may not be as easy a bout as many believe it will be for Tate, who actually brings a decent amount of pressure into the bout after sort of no-showing her first title defense against Amanda Nunes. Pennington has nothing to lose, and she brings the momentum of a recent hot streak with her as well. However, I still think the wrestling and veteran experience of ‘Cupcake’ should rule the day. Tate by unanimous decision.

Rory Kernaghan:

Tate showed us she had what it takes to be a champion, putting the highly touted Holly Holm to sleep to win the belt. Then, in just her first defense, ‘Cupcake’ got cooked by Nunes at UFC 200. Which version of Tate will we see against Raquel Pennington? In my mind, ‘Rocky’ is gritty and talented, but not dangerous in this scenario. I see Tate cruising to a unanimous decision win here.

Mike Henken:

Tate is coming off of one of the worst performances of her career where she surrendered her title in brutal fashion to Nunes, but I simply feel as if she’s the better fighter in this matchup against Pennington, although “Rocky” has won three straight. “Cupcake” has always had strong wrestling and grappling, and her striking has improved over the years. I expect her to bounce back in New York. Tate by unanimous decision.

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Wonderboy Thinks Tyron Woodley Is “Already Broken”

It may be taking a backseat to the Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez main event, but the welterweight championship fight between Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson in the co-main event of this week’s (Sat., November 12, 2016) UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden in New York City is still one of the most awaited bouts

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It may be taking a backseat to the Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez main event, but the welterweight championship fight between Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson in the co-main event of this week’s (Sat., November 12, 2016) UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden in New York City is still one of the most awaited bouts of 2016.

It’s been a long time coming, as ‘Wonderboy’ has been tabbed for a 170-pound title shot since he demolished former champ Johny Hendricks in the first round last February for his sixth straight victory. Thompson has since secured a seventh over former title contender Rory MacDonald, and when Woodley surprised the MMA world by knocking out former champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 201, it became all but a formality that Thompson would fight for the title despite ‘The Chosen One’s’ calling for bouts with Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz.

The fight that fans wanted was eventually made, yet Woodley got the war of words started by saying he “didn’t respect Thompson as a man” after he supposedly knew about the fight before Woodley announced it on TV himself. Speaking to FOX Sports about the build-up to his biggest fight, Thompson said the smack talk simply doesn’t get to him:

“It makes me smile. I don’t know what I have done to make him not respect me as a man. I think it is the fact that he thinks I knew about the fight earlier on, which is not true. The only time I knew we were fighting is when he announced it on FOX Sports 1, but it doesn’t bother me one bit.

“I’ve been fighting since I was 15 years old and I’ve had all kinds of things happen to me. People calling me “Wonder Woman” and “Wonder Bra” “Wonder Bread”. It does make me chuckle some and it does mean that I’m getting under his skin a little bit. Sometimes that can give you an advantage.”

Wonderboy believes Woodley’s talk is a sign he’s already breaking before their co-headliner at the UFC’s New York debut, and the boos from the crowd are creeping into his psyche:

“This guy’s breaking already and the fight hasn’t even started yet,” Thompson said. “I could tell when we went out and stood in front of each other and he’s looking at the crowd, I could tell. Going back and watching that, he’s thinking a little bit too much into this and we’ll see how it affects him in the fight.”

The champion has brought in talented karate striker Sage Northcutt to help mimic “Wonderboy’s” unique striking, but Thompson still believes Woodley has no idea what’s coming November 12. Thompson insists that’s going to frustrate him, and when that becomes true, he know he’ll have Woodley right where he wants him:

“When he goes out there and he has trouble hitting me, that’s when it’s really going to surface. Right now, I’m under his skin. He doesn’t know what to expect whenever I get out there. He’s looking at my last fight, he’s looking at all my fights and you’re still not going to know what’s coming,” Thompson said.

“That frustrates a lot of people and you do things that you don’t normally do and that’s when I’ve got you. When I frustrate you, then that’s when I’ve got you.”

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Tyron Woodley Warns Conor McGregor To Stay Out Of His Division

It’s no secret UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor loves making history. McGregor owns the fastest knockout in UFC title fight history with his UFC 194 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo last December, and is attempting to be the first dual-weight champion in the promotion’s history when the 145-pound champ challenges Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight

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It’s no secret UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor loves making history.

McGregor owns the fastest knockout in UFC title fight history with his UFC 194 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo last December, and is attempting to be the first dual-weight champion in the promotion’s history when the 145-pound champ challenges Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight throne in the main event of UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden.

The Irishman attempted this once before as he was scheduled to meet then-lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC 196 under the same circumstances, but the Brazilian was forced to pull out of the contest with a broken foot. Nate Diaz would swoop in to save the day and would go on to submit ‘The Notorious One’ in the second round via rear-naked choke, handing McGregor his first loss in his UFC career.

During the lead-up to his scheduled match-up with ‘RDA’, however, McGregor also teased a possible attempt at taking the UFC’s 170-pound title as well, stating he liked his chances against then-champion ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler.

Today the title no longer rests on Lawler’s shoulders, but instead on the man’s who took ‘Ruthless’ out with a vicious overhand right in the first round of their title clash at UFC 201, Tyron Woodley. Woodley recently spoke to Chris Taylor of BJ Penn.com, stating that if McGregor is eying a fight with himself down the line that it wouldn’t be the best decision for his health:

WoodleyKO'edLawler2

“Well first off I think Conor is a smart individual and he knows that fighting me is not going to be good for his health,” Woodley said. “I just do not really see him wanting that fight. I see him relinquishing his 145-pound belt and then maybe defending his title a few times at lightweight. Maybe he does a super-fight here or there. There has been talks of him fighting Floyd Mayweather in boxing.”

“So he is a smart business guy and so I do not think he is going to want to come up and fight a guy who is going to outsize him,” Woodley said. “Being 170 and fighting 170 is two different things. I walk around at 200. Giving up that 30-pounds. Plus he is not going to have a boxing advantage. He is definitely not going to have a wrestling advantage. He is definitely not going to have a strength advantage. And it would be a lopsided display of power.”

Before any talk of a potential McGregor vs. Woodley welterweight title fight can begin, however, the pair of champions have some big fights ahead of themselves in the near future. Woodley will be making his first career title defense against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson in the co-main event of UFC 205, followed by McGregor and Alvarez closing out the historical show.

UFC 205 goes down live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Madison Square Garden arena in New York City on November 12, 2016.

conor-mcgregor-eddie-alvarez[1]

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