UFC 170 ‘Rousey vs. McMann’ Preview

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Welterweights

Stephen Thompson (8-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Robert Whittaker (11-3, 2-1 UFC)

The Matchup: Thompson garnered plenty of attention for the head kick that knocked out Daniel Stittgen in his UFC debut. The hype probably came a little too quickly, considering the KO came against someone who is no longer in the UFC.

Thompson’s deficiencies on the ground were promptly exposed by Matt Brown at UFC 145, and while it might have been easy to dismiss the five-time world kickboxing champion as a one-dimensional wonder, he has shown improvement in his all-around skills in his last two outings. There is no question that the foundation of “Wonderboy’s” game remains his accurate and flashy striking. However, he was also able to neutralize Nah-Shon Burrell in the clinch at UFC 160 and landed a couple of takedowns before stopping Chris Clements at UFC 165.

Despite his progress, wrestling and grappling are still the most likely paths to victory against the South Carolinian. However, Whittaker has been more inclined to rely on stout takedown defense to keep his fights standing. “The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” winner drew a tough foe in Court McGee at UFC Fight Night 27, but he held his own in a split decision defeat.

Prior to that, Whittaker displayed fluid boxing and good instincts during his time on the reality series and in two Octagon appearances. His ability to land punches in combination with explosive power and speed makes him a knockout threat. In addition to crisp punches, the Australian has been successful landing standing elbows in exchanges. The downside is that Whittaker is not exceptional defensively. Instead, he appears more interested in jumpstarting his own attack with an aggressive approach.

How that will work against Thompson, who has a slight reach advantage and a bevy of pinpoint kicks and punches, remains to be seen. There is always the possibility that Whittaker elects to wrestle a little more to test out his opponent’s weaknesses, although he has shown little inclination to do that thus far in his UFC career.

The Pick: Thompson has a better chance to control distance, but Whittaker’s potential for growth is hard to ignore. Whittaker takes it by decision.

Last Fights » The Prelims