News Stephen Thompson vs. Vicente Luque Official For UFC 244

[Mr Fahrenheit]

I don’t think it’s so much WB’s chin that is suspect. It’s his defense generally. When you fight with your hands down like that your footwork, head movement and reflexes in general need to be pinpoint sharp. For awhile he had that, and can even be forgiven for getting caught by Woodley a couple times over 50 minutes. But then he got knocked down by both Till and Pettis despite extremely low output from both of them.

Coming out of the Woodley and Till fights it was incumbent upon WB to figure out a way to sit down on his punches or otherwise become more offensively exciting. But is he capable of doing that? Now he needs to prove that he isn’t chinny and/or simply over the hill defensively as well. This is a big turning point moment for Thompson.

It’s also a big opportunity for him. Before he came up against the very top guys he was a walking highlight reel. Can he recapture that against a lower ranked guy like Luque? If so he’s suddenly right back into the mix in what has suddenly become a welterweight division with a lot going on. The Askren-Maia winner, Nate Diaz, who knows what he might be able to land if he can recapture the magic.

And of course this could be the perfect coming out party for Luque. If he can walk down and stop Wonderboy, Luque will be ready for something massive in the division. If he gets tooled people will remember a razor close fight against Perry; but if he wins all that will end up in his highlight package is the smashed nose.

Big, big stakes.

 

[Pakman]

He most definitely is. I know it was only one bad loss, but for some reason I have a feeling Wonderboy's chin is hanging from a thread. I think Luque is primed to land a big shot and he's durable enough to wade through Wonderboy's offense to land some of his own. If he can deal with Wonderboy's running I think it'll be a much better performance from Luque than the Perry fight. Perry is much better in the pocket than giving credit for. Luque will have more room to breathe in this one.

Having room to breathe vs Wonderboy usually doesn't result in a win, usually leads to you getting outstruck. But I'm hoping you're right. Im a really big fan of Vicente. Not just his fight style/skills but him as a person. He's a good dude.

So is Wonderboy though. It's honestly a great match but im sure some will find a way to shit on it.

 

[Koro_11]

That’s one way to look at it. The other is that he was fighting Tyron Woodley, and stood right in front of him for the better part of 50 minutes of (what I thought was) dead even fighting.

His style forces him to be nearly perfect though, so I don’t think he can complain about not getting rushed back up the ladder at this point. Fun fights like the Pettis fight are about the best he can realistically hope for.

Ya I'd agree, but he's in a boring fight pretty much any time he's facing anyone in the top 10. Masvidal and Till fights were pretty lame as well.

 

[Paynebringer]

try watching the fights instead of getting salty, it will be better for your health an credibility.

Sit your ass down man, I watched the fights and I saw Vicente win both fights if you saw something else then you looking through salty stained glasses son...

 

[CasualBot]

Luque just got outstruck by Mike Perry like two weeks ago, let's cool the breaks a bit

Cool the breaks?

 

[Paynebringer]

I don’t think it’s so much WB’s chin that is suspect. It’s his defense generally. When you fight with your hands down like that your footwork, head movement and reflexes in general need to be pinpoint sharp. For awhile he had that, and can even be forgiven for getting caught by Woodley a couple times over 50 minutes. But then he got knocked down by both Till and Pettis despite extremely low output from both of them.

Coming out of the Woodley and Till fights it was incumbent upon WB to figure out a way to sit down on his punches or otherwise become more offensively exciting. But is he capable of doing that? Now he needs to prove that he isn’t chinny and/or simply over the hill defensively as well. This is a big turning point moment for Thompson.

It’s also a big opportunity for him. Before he came up against the very top guys he was a walking highlight reel. Can he recapture that against a lower ranked guy like Luque? If so he’s suddenly right back into the mix in what has suddenly become a welterweight division with a lot going on. The Askren-Maia winner, Nate Diaz, who knows what he might be able to land if he can recapture the magic.

And of course this could be the perfect coming out party for Luque. If he can walk down and stop Wonderboy, Luque will be ready for something massive in the division. If he gets tooled people will remember a razor close fight against Perry; but if he wins all that will end up in his highlight package is the smashed nose.

Big, big stakes.

Good read my Sherbro, and I agree. WB's style works perfectly against stone footed fighters or those slow to react, anytime he's faced with a fighter that is more responsive WB goes full point fighter and picks & pecks @You until the clocks run out. WB's style is being broken more guys are breaking through TWood, Till, ( look what's happening to Till of late) Pettis. Telling all WB lovers right now if he walks in on Luque hands down and chin craned high he'll be looking up at stadium lights.

WB is still very much a threat @WW against any fighter but he's becoming limited @Tomas said the UFC is now using him as the new WW gatekeeper and I think he's spot on. I think Vicente can get through if not WB gets a mini re-boost off a up and coming stud...

 

[Paynebringer]

I think Wonderboy is getting severly underrated at this point.

I would love for him to make a run again at WW. I think he has the style to beat the 2 blankets of the division.

Wonderboy couldn't even beat the original blanket of the division when given back to back chances...

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Wonderboy couldn't even beat the original blanket of the division when given back to back chances...

Well.. that was a blanket with a powerful right hand.

Colby and Usman can't even finish a sandwich.

 

[Luthien]

Wonderboy better watch that pretty nose around Vincente.

 

[Paynebringer]

Well.. that was a blanket with a powerful right hand.

Colby and Usman can't even finish a sandwich.

If you talking Colby I would agree, Usman as shown the ability to turn your lights out or grind you down to a stub, Colby wrestles you like a relentless overgrown puppy...

 

[Paynebringer]

Wonderboy better watch that pretty nose around Vincente.

Real Captain America that one...

 

[Luthien]

Real Captain America that one...

 

[electricfuneral]

im rooting for vicente. I love that style

 

[Paynebringer]

It’s gonna look like Jouban vs Perry.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Good read my Sherbro, and I agree. WB's style works perfectly against stone footed fighters or those slow to react, anytime he's faced with a fighter that is more responsive WB goes full point fighter and picks & pecks @You until the clocks run out. WB's style is being broken more guys are breaking through TWood, Till, ( look what's happening to Till of late) Pettis. Telling all WB lovers right now if he walks in on Luque hands down and chin craned high he'll be looking up at stadium lights.

WB is still very much a threat @WW against any fighter but he's becoming limited @Tomas said the UFC is now using him as the new WW gatekeeper and I think he's spot on. I think Vicente can get through if not WB gets a mini re-boost off a up and coming stud...

Yea it’s very easy for me to picture WB getting smoked on the chin.

Will be interesting to see how he reacts coming off that random Pettis knockout. It looked to me like he was pretty committed to getting Pettis out of there (coming in hot at the ten second warning isn’t his normal m.o.) coming off the frustrating decision losses to Woodley and Till.

Personally I think he needs to find a way to start dropping guys again. It’s certainly possible that it simply won’t be in the cards for him against the best guys, but he has to try. Point fighting past fringe top ten guys might eventually get him another title shot if he wins 5-6 in a row, but the way he’s been getting caught I don’t think he can survive hundreds of more minutes inside the octagon without getting knocked out again.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Wonderboy couldn't even beat the original blanket of the division when given back to back chances...

He came damn close though, both times. And what turned both fights was something that neither Usman nor Covington has—an atomic right hand out of nowhere.

It would actually be fun to see either matchup in my opinion. Neither Usman nor Colby stands there against the fence like an idiot getting tapped on the chin the way Woodley did in those fights. Would Covington storm right into a roundhouse kick though? That would be a fun stylistic matchup.

 

[darksheep]

Luque via KO/TKO

 

[Aluminati]

Mike Perry is salty somewhere right now.

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Nah, no salt. Sometimes you lose, no shame in that.
Luque fucking brought it, and Perry dug deep trying to win the last round.
Hope he comes prepared because Wonderboy has his back to the wall after getting his clock cleaned by Pettis.