UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson (2/6/2016) - Las Vegas, NV (MGM Garden Grand Arena)

[Elsalvajeloco]

UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson
February 6, 2016
Las Vegas, NV (MGM Garden Grand Arena)

Johny Hendricks (170) vs. Stephen Thompson (170) - Thompson, KO (punches), R1 (3:31)
Roy Nelson (258) vs. Jared Rosholt (245) - Nelson, DEC (unanimous)
Ovince St. Preux (206) vs. Rafael Cavalcante (205) - St. Preux, DEC (unanimous)
Joseph Benavidez (125) vs. Zach Makovsky (125) - Benavidez, DEC (unanimous)
Misha Cirkunov (206) vs. Alex Nicholson (201) - Cirkunov, SUB (neck crank), R2 (1:28)
Mike Pyle (170) vs. Sean Spencer (170) - Pyle, TKO (strikes), R3 (4:25)

Fox Sports Preliminary Card:
Josh Burkman (156) vs. KJ Noons (156) - Burkman, DEC (unanimous)
Derrick Lewis (263) vs. Damian Grabowski (235) - Lewis, TKO (punches), R1 (2:17)
Ray Borg (125) vs. Justin Scoggins (125) - Scoggins, DEC (unanimous)
Noad Lahat (145) vs. Diego Rivas (144) - Rivas, KO (flying knee), R2 (0:23)

Fight Pass Preliminary Card:
Mickey Gall (170) vs. Mike Jackson (170) - Gall, SUB (rear naked choke), R1 (0:45)
Artem Lobov (145) vs. Alex White (145) - White, DEC (unanimous)

Event Bonuses ($50,000):
Performance of the Night: Diego Rivas
Performance of the Night: Stephen Thompson
Fight of the Night: Mike Pyle vs. Sean Spencer

Attendance: 7,422
Gate: $1.435 million
Rating: 1.317 million viewers

Cancelled Bouts:
Fabrício Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez - Injury to Velasquez (Back)
Fabrício Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic - Injury to Werdum (Foot)

[Elsalvajeloco]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uknWF7B3uE

[J.T.]

RIP Wonderboy.

 

ROY NELSON STILL HAS A CONTRACT?

[Hail Sabin]

Hopefully this Hendricks fight won't suck like his last couple have after he lost to Lawler.

[Elsalvajeloco]

Hopefully this Hendricks fight won't suck like his last couple have after he lost to Lawler.

 

You've made the Brown fight two fights somehow.

[Elsalvajeloco]

ROY NELSON STILL HAS A CONTRACT?

 

Apparently. He has to beat Rosholt though. I can't see him staying around if he doesn't.

[TheVileOne]

Rosholt's striking and defense are terrible, so if Nelson can't beat that dude...

 

Well, I like the main event getting five rounds.  If anything gives Thompson a chance to win, it's that.  

[Hail Sabin]

It was disappointing enough for two fights.

[Elsalvajeloco]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBfaSxLGYQs&index=2&list=PL9F4235320FD2DE7A

[Elsalvajeloco]

 

"COME AT ME, USADA! COME AT ME, BRO!"

[Elsalvajeloco]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9lRywznwfk

[Elsalvajeloco]

[Elsalvajeloco]

Does anyone think Wonderboy can get the biggest win of his career against Hendricks or does everyone expect Hendricks to get it done via his wrestling? This would be the time to say different before everyone gets into Monday morning armchair quarterback mode after Saturday night.

[TheVileOne]

Does anyone think Wonderboy can get the biggest win of his career against Hendricks or does everyone expect Hendricks to get it done via his wrestling? This would be the time to say different before everyone gets into Monday morning armchair quarterback mode after Saturday night.

 

I'm picking Hendricks, but if Wonderboy is prepared for Hendricks' wrestling and has a good gameplan to work around it, yes I think he can do it.  Dynamic strikers like Condit have given Hendricks problems before, but only towards the end of three round fights.  This fight is five rounds, then it was changed to five rounds at the last minute, so we'll see.  I'm expecting Hendricks' nutrition and cardio is on point this time, but I guess we'll find out.  

 

I definitely want to see Wonderboy walk away with a win.

[Jiji]

Wasn't there worry about Hendricks' fitness and conditioning at the end of last year? I think Johny gassing is Thompson's best bet outside of a flash KO kick. Not liking Wonderboy's chances but does he have much to lose, really? A loss to a top contender like Hendricks won't push him down the rankings that much. 

[TheVileOne]

Thompson has a good record right now, and a loss to someone like Hendricks won't push him down that much, especially if he has a decent performance.  It's a good test for him at the very least.

 

If he can get an upset that basically puts him right into the title mix.

[Elsalvajeloco]

I think it's gotten to a point where people want to see someone break into that Lawler-Condit-MacDonald-Hendricks-Woodley-Lombard fortress that's been holding steady since 2013. I think that's possibly the most talented array of fighters you can ask for post GSP/Hughes/the AKA trio. The reason it isn't as dire as 205 or heavyweight is you definitely have young talent outside that band of fighters. However, you still have the same dudes challenging for the belt and in the title eliminators.

 

I think Wonderboy is interesting because you got a guy who is still 90% offense oriented. In an era where you got prominent and (more importantly) tested welterweights, that may not be what could toss him to the front to break into that formidable fortress. It seems like if you threw him into MMA about 6 years ago, he would be one of those guys who could be in there and challenge for a belt when fighters like Hughes, Koscheck, Fitch, Swick, and Alves faded away. Now, he's in there with dudes who are throwing nothing but straight heat like Larkin, Tumenov, Jouban, Brown, Means, Masvidal, Story, and several others. It just so happens that 170 is so vast that he really hasn't had a run-in with someone who could upset him other than Matt Brown. Everyone else has been doing there own thing, fighting each other, and/or in another weight class. To go from one of the best guys from yesteryear who no longer has the attributes to keep up to legitimately one of the best in the division (even with faulty gameplans and weight issues) could be a very jarring experience for him. How does he handle someone like Hendricks who has no qualms about wrestling and isn't going to stand there while he sets up a flashy kick?

 

The crazy thing here is that Hendricks is six months and a day younger than Thompson. So it's not like Hendricks is this old guy ready to take a fall to put over this young guy. Hendricks should still be very much in his prime.

[Hail Sabin]

Can't lie I want Wonderboy to win but I think Hendricks will wet blanket him.

[Craig H]

My boy Johny is going to knock Wonderboy the fuck out.

[twiztor]

Does anyone think Wonderboy can get the biggest win of his career against Hendricks or does everyone expect Hendricks to get it done via his wrestling?

 

like everybody else, i'm fully expecting Johny to use his wrestling en route to a win.

also like everybody else, i'm pulling for Wonderboy. Nothing against Hendricks, i just like unexpected upsets.

[Elsalvajeloco]

So apparently, the Gall vs. Jackson stips have changed. If Mike Jackson wins, he will get to face CM Punk.

Edit: False alarm. MMAJunkie fell for the old fake Dana White account trick.

[TheVileOne]

I like how Ariel Helwani is calling that fight a lottery ticket.  If it's a lottery ticket, it's the cheapest one on earth.

[Elsalvajeloco]

A MMA media member was just attacked and assaulted...oh wait it was a pro MMA bout. Nevermind.

[Guest Edwin]

Noad Lahat is going to be asleep for a while.

[Elsalvajeloco]

That was kinda brutal. Another flying knee KO loss for Lahat.