Tyron Woodley is still the UFC welterweight champion after UFC 205, but he didn’t actually beat his opponent, Stephen Thompson.
Woodley and Thompson fought to a majority draw, however, there was some confusion post-fight. Initially, Bruce Buffer announced “The Chosen One” as the split decision winner, but went back to double-check with the commission and moments later corrected the error.
The majority draw result made sense; Woodley vs. Thompson was back-and-forth for all five rounds. The champion started strong, landing a takedown in the first round and holding “Wonderboy” down for much of the first five minutes. But Thompson was able to walk Woodley down for the next couple rounds, and looked great overall. The tides appeared to be turning.
Not so fast.
Woodley dominated the fourth round. He knocked Thompson down and nearly finished him with ground-and-pound. He then followed with a tight guillotine attempt, yet “Wonderboy” somehow survived.
Thompson won the fifth round, ending the fight well, but it was too little, too late.
What was the highlight of the fight?
The highlight of the fight was, without a doubt, the sequence in the fourth round that nearly solidified the victory for Woodley. The 170-pound titleholder landed a pair of bombs that nearly shut Thompson’s lights out. Thompson survived the blows, however, but was caught in a deep, deep submission. Again, he survived. Thompson clearly has heart for days. Woodley’s near-finish — and Thompson’s toughness — was the highlight of the amazing title fight.
Where do these two go from here?
UFC president Dana White expressed interest in a rematch between Woodley and Thompson because of the majority draw result. Although Demain Maia is in the title picture, it seems like the rematch is the fight to make.
Watch now, later, or never?
Woodley and Thompson took home an extra $50,000 for Fight of the Night for good reason. Watch the five-round outing right away.
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