Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson first fought at UFC 205 in November to a majority draw. The bout earned Fight of the Night honors in the historic first event in New York City. The two met for the second time on Saturday in the UFC 209 main event in Las Vegas.
The rematch was largely a battle of patience. Each fighter waited for the other to engage to open up counter-strike opportunities. There was a lot of footwork and feints, but not a lot of striking in the first two rounds. Through ten minutes of fighting, only six significant strikes had landed.
Woodley scored a takedown in the opening moments of the third frame. He trapped Thompson’s right arm behind his back and delivered left hands to the body and head. 90 seconds later, Thompson worked his way back to his feet. Thompson targeted Woodley’s body in the second half of the round and finished the frame strong.
The fourth round saw little output by either fighter. It mirrored the first two frames. Heading into the final round, it was hard to say who was up on the scorecards.
RELATED >