Still showing prime form at 37 years old, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson put together a striking clinic against highly regarded up and comer Geoff Neal, winning their UFC Fight Night main event via unanimous decision.
Scores were 50-45 across the board for the No. 5-ranked Thompson, now 16-4-1. After a rough year that saw him survive a health scare, the No. 11-ranked Neal falls to 13-3.
Thompson was busy in the early going, and while Neal pressured him, he had to eat a few shots to get within striking range. When Neal was able to catch Thompson against the fence, he unleashed his strikes but wasn’t able to either land a telling shot or keep his opponent there for long. Late in the round, an accidental clash of heads bloodied Thompson and Neal, but the bout continued, both getting attention from the cutmen between rounds.
Neal showed a sense of urgency in his attack in round two, quickly bulling Thompson to the fence, where he worked his clinch game for a spell. Thompson got loose quickly and fired off a sharp 1-2, his momentum regained. As the round progressed, Thompson still continued to impress, but a late flurry from Neal let the South Carolina native know that he was still there.
There were more clinch exchanges in the third round as Neal tried to wear on Thompson and slow him down, but it was the busier Thompson who still did the most effective work when at range as the pair prepared to enter the championship rounds.
Thompson added to his lead in the fourth round even though he appeared to hurt his right leg late in the frame. That might have been the best news possible for Neal, and “Handz of Steel” came out for the fifth-round firing, the result being the best exchange of the fight early in the frame. But once Thompson settled back into the heat of battle, he welcomed the toe-to-toe slugging with the heavy-handed Neal, who was still in the fight and determined to win it. And though it wasn’t to be for the Texan, it was clear that his future is still bright while the present still belongs to “Wonderboy”.
Official Result: Stephen Thompson def. Geoff Neal by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
