I succeeded. Twenty-four consecutive weeks of UFC cards. Finally, an end.
Until next time.
It may not seem ungrateful to UFC President Dana White, or the fighters, coaches, and staff who put their heads together to provide entertainment during the pandemic, but I think we all need a break from hitting the face for a few weeks. For fans, take some time to rest, recover, and maybe not think about Fighter X’s game plan, the fantastic matches of 2021, or the madness of the board judge Chris Lee. .
Right now, though? We have battles to choose from.
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, a two-time welterweight contender, was given a tough task: Find a way to stop Geoff Neal, hard to load, in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 17 main event. Five UFC opponents tried and five failed, only one of them reaching the scorecards against Neal.
Neal has yet to face a veteran Thompson caliber, so it could be a reality check for the first time UFC headliner. If he manages to get past Thompson, Neal immediately becomes one of the most interesting welterweight contenders heading into 2021.
The co-main event sees Marlon Vera finally get a shot at overturning a brand name, an opportunity he has been pursuing for centuries even though he finished one bantamweight after another. This name happens to be Jose Aldo, who has his own hill to cross because he has not yet won a fight at 135 pounds. Is Vera’s time to shine, or is Aldo preventing “Chito” from reaching elite status?
In another main book, Michel Pereira and Khaos Williams meet in a battle of enchanting weights, bantam heavyweight contenders Marlon Moraes and Rob Font face off, and weight veteran Marcin Tybura fights Greg Hardy.
What the: UFC Vegas 17
Where: UFC APEX in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, December 19th. The preliminary book with seven fights starts at 16:00 ET on ESPN +, the main card with five fights starting at 19:00 ET and on ESPN +.
Stephen Thompson Vs. Geoff Neal
There is an outburst in Geoff Neal’s striking, which I really like and which I think will be the key to discovering the “Wonderboy” enigma. He will have to be in top form against Stephen Thompson, a veteran who has made an art of making his opponents look stupid.
A look at Neal’s high finish rate may paint the image of a berserker, but in fact, he showed a lot of patience when a burst opening occurs. It’s fast, accurate and explosive, all the necessary features if you want to have a chance against Thompson. The 25-minute duration of this fight can actually be beneficial for Neal, as he has the luxury of giving up a round early to gather data.
On the other hand, the karate style signed by Thompson is suitable for the winning decisions of the judges and if Neal is not able to push the pace, then Thompson is the one who will make a victory. He is a master at distance control and exploiting the weaknesses of less experienced opponents, such as Neal.
I handle this and choose a victory for Neal, who I think is heading for a title shot sometime next year. It will be difficult to generate any sustained crime against Thompson, but I expect the explosions of action to favor young Neal, and that should be enough to win him.
Choose: Neal
Jose Aldo vs. Marlon Vera
I hated picking against Junior dos Santos last week and I hate picking up against Jose Aldo here. Win or lose, these Brazilian champions deserve our respect.
However, the fighting game does not reflect the word “worth it”, as we arrived with a hungry Marlon Vera trying to cement himself as one of the best at 135 pounds compared to the best at 145 pounds. “Chito” has everything it takes to do it, with a high-pitched offense that takes some time to get started, but once it’s done, it’s too much for most to handle.
I’m afraid that includes Aldo. He looked gorgeous at times in his last fights, even in defeat, but I have a feeling he just doesn’t have that ability to put an exclamation mark on a show like he used to. That cost him a close decision against Marlon Moraes in December last year. It might cost him a few more brain cells against Vera.
Even though Aldo is competitive for the first two rounds, I just don’t see Vera slowing down in the third. He will finish strong and leave Aldo, leaving no room for any scoring controversy.
Choose: Vera
Khaos Williams Vs. Michel Pereira
Khaos Williams finished the fight so quickly that he didn’t have a chance to show how good he was. He may not have that opportunity against Michel Pereira either.
There is simply no one in the UFC like Pereira, the human embodiment of chaos. He is a fighter who dares you to portray your clown tricks (read: fun), while you have to respect his skillful blow. Underneath all the flips and stunts is a fighter with real technical skills and Pereira has shown that in all his UFC fights so far.
Williams’ main problem will be dealing with the unorthodox angles from which Pereira will approach. His last two knockout victories came against opponents who made the mistake of moving forward in a straight line, something Pereira might not be able to do if he tried. He’s going to work to get under Williams’ skin, and if he succeeds, he could be halfway through the fight right there.
Pereira through the tie in the first round.
Choose: Pereira
Marlon Moraes Vs. Rob Font
Is this a trap game for Marlon Moraes?
On paper, there doesn’t seem to be anything Rob Font does better than him. Moraes hits harder, has a stronger ground game and should be a match for Font in the speed department. I like the physical gifts that Font brings to this match. Let’s not forget that Moraes just fought a narrower fighter in Cory Sandhagen and got to the wrong end of a wheel hit.
Moraes may face a coverage disadvantage, even if it means fighting with a touch more caution than usual. Questions have been raised about Moraes’ ability to achieve full performance in three rounds and if Font can reach it in the third round, he may have more in the tank than Moraes.
However, there are too many ways for Moraes to win here and I expect him to be smart and bring him down. He may have to play it safe to avoid a third loss in four fights, but I actually see him securing submission at some point.
Choose: Moraes
Marcin Tybura Vs. Greg Hardy
We apologize for starting this section with another question, but how good is Greg Hardy? Matchmakers have done an excellent job of finding the right matches for inexperienced heavyweights, but Marcin Tybura is an important step for Hardy.
Tybura may never produce tweetable quotes like Derrick Lewis, but the Polish veteran has been a solid fighter for years and has a vast experience advantage over Hardy, especially when comparing his level of competition. His lack of kick power could prove to be his downfall in this match, as Hardy showed no shortage.
The athletic gap between Tybura and Hardy cannot be ignored. Speed and agility can make up for a lot of shortcomings when you learn on the go, and although Hardy had nothing to offer Alexander Volkov, the smaller and slower Tybura is a more accessible target. If Hardy’s abilities start to catch up with his raw ability, Tybura could be the next to fall into the hands of the former NFLer.
Tybura must bring this battle to the ground, where he will have a massive advantage. He is smart and should find a way to do this several times, until Hardy gets tired and gives in to either the ground or a submission.
Choose: Tybura
preliminary
Anthony Pettis def. Alex Morono
Miss Kianzad def. Sijara Eubanks
Antonio Arroyo def. Deron Winn
Gillian Robertson def. Taila Santos
Tafon Nchukwi def. Jamie Pickett
Jimmy Flick def. Cody Durden
Christos Giagos def. Carlton Minus