Woodley’s flurry at the end of the fight was the highlight of the fight, because nothing else remotely effective (unless you count Woodley’s third-round takedown, which is a stretch) happened.
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Tyron Woodley defends against Stephen Thompson during their UFC 209 fight. While Woodley was able to keep his title, the lack of action from the fight drew the ire of the crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Well, Woodley and Thompson will get the chance to settle the score once and for all when they meet again for a grudge match at UFC 209.
Round Five: The round begins with Woodley coming forward and swinging at Thompson, Thompson continuously attacks Thompson with lefts.
“I knew it was close”, Woodley said. He rarely lets his emotions get the better of him and concentrates on the job in hand. He made it hard.
This may or may not be the answer, but something has to be done before more fights are cancelled last minute. “He was equipped and ready for me to come in close, so he was keeping me at bay. I was just praying and making sure the belt stayed home”. Craig ate repeated right hands before falling to the mat, where Pedro finished the fight in the crucifix position.
“I only threw half the things I normally do”, Thompson said of the first bout, “which is good going into this fight, because he hasn’t seen even half of everything I’ve got”. “I had to play it smart”. “I thought I had it, but you live to fight another day”.
In Kelvin Gastelum, Woodley faced one of the brightest prospects on the roster, a former Ultimate Fighter victor who to this day is still considered a future title-contender, despite his consistent issues with weight-cutting.
UFC president Dana White stands between fighters Tony Ferguson, right, and Khabib Nurmagomedo. “I thought Wonderboy [Thompson] won 3-2”.
The difference might have been two solid rounds for Woodley. In the third period Woodley, an All-American and team captain for the Universty of Missouri wrestling program in the early 2000s, managed his only successful stint of grappling. By his reasoning, Thompson had five rounds to wrest the belt from him, and hadn’t been able to do so.
Thompson is a unique fighter in a sport filled with interesting competitors.
In the fifth round, Woodley was more aggressive, and in the final minute of the fight, he landed heavy leather on his opponent that stunned the challenger. Nurmagomedov is from Russian Federation and fans fly from Russian Federation to see him fight.
“It’s easy to sit in your seats, drink some beers and (eat) some popcorn and boo people, man”, White said.
A photo of Tyron Woodley in 2010. “A lot was at stake”.
However, with plenty of inactivity in the fight, many have been criticising the decision as they believe either Wonderboy did enough to win, or it should have been called another draw.
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Now holds the championship belt Woodley. Thompson scored with short counter punches and inside leg kicks before suffering the crucial knockdown.
