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411’s MMA Roundtable Preview – UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Till
WELCOME:
UFC debuts in Liverpool with hometown boy Darren Till facing Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the main event! In the co-main event, Neil Magny battles Craig White. In a pair of featherweight bouts, Arnold Allen fights Mads Burnell, and Jason Knight takes on Makwan Amirkhani. Plus, Claudio Silva goes up against Nordine Taleb, Eric Spicely vs. Darren Stewart, and more!
THE STAFF:
Preliminary Card
UFC Fight Pass
Middleweight Bout: Elias Theodorou vs. Trevor Smith
Fox Sports 1
Flyweight Bout: Gillian Robertson vs. Molly McCann
Welterweight Bout: Brad Scott vs. Carlo Pedersoli Jr.
Bantamweight Bout: Gina Mazany vs. Lina Lansberg
Middleweight Bout: Dan Kelly vs. Tom Breese
THE MAIN CARD:
Middleweight Bout: Eric Spicely vs. Darren Stewart
Robert Winfree: Eric Spicely, Submission, Round 1
Jeffrey Harris: Eric Spicely, Submission, Round 1
Dan Plunkett: Spicely, Decision
Middleweight Bout: Claudio Silva vs. Nordine Taleb
Dan Plunkett: Silva, Decision
Featherweight Bout: Jason Knight vs. Makwan Amirkhani
Robert Winfree: I’m still not sure Jason Knight recovered after getting walloped by Ricardo Lamas. He’s got decent striking, good timing on his double leg and a solid bottom game, but he’s not quite put things together at the highest level and the damage he’s taking along the way is starting to add up. I’m not completely sold on Amirkhani at a really high level, but Knight got lost really quickly when he fought Gabriel Benitez and I think Amirkhani can force him into uncomfortable situations and take this.
Winner: Makwan Amirkhani, Decision
Jeffrey Harris: I’m liking Makwan Amirkhani right now. He only lost a tough split decision to Arnold Allen last March. Meanwhile, Jason Knight is on a two-fight losing streak to Ricardo Lamas and Gabriel Benitez. I think Amirkhani is going to be way too much for Knight, and he’s going to dominate this fight everywhere. Amirkhani picks up the win.
Winner: Makwan Amirkhani, Decision
Dan Plunkett: Knight pushes a tremendous pace, which makes him a fun fighter to watch. Amirkhani is a strong wrestler, and he’ll rely on that wrestling to win a close decision here.
Winner: Amirkhani, Decision
Featherweight Bout: Arnold Allen vs. Mads Burnell
Robert Winfree: Arnold Allen is the prospect in this situation, he’s a decent all around fighter and is trying to maintain that trajectory. Burnell is the more local guy but he’s likely a little in over his head outside of the proverbial punchers chance.
Winner: Arnold Allen, Decision
Jeffrey Harris: Arnold Allen gets a chance to fight in his home country here against Mads Burnell, who is 1-1 in the UFC. This seems like a resume builder type of fight for a prospect fighter like Arnold Allen. I expect Allen is going to get the better of Burnell and use his striking to dominate the fight to pick up the win.
Winner: Arnold Allen, Decision
Dan Plunkett: Burnell is a 24-year-old BJJ black belt from Denmark. Allen, also 24, is a well-rounded product of Tristar. I think this is well-matched but lean toward Allen.
Winner: Allen, Decision
Welterweight Bout: Neil Magny vs. Craig White
Robert Winfree: This was supposed to be an interesting fight between Magny and Gunnar Nelson, sadly we lost that when Nelson got injured a few weeks ago and now we’ve got a really late notice replacement opponent. Unless Magny massively screws up he should take this.
Winner: Neil Magny, Submission, Round 2
Jeffrey Harris: I’m all in for Neil Magny here. Magny has hit plenty of road blocks in the past, but this definitely looks like a fight tailor made for him to win. He’s fighting a 14-7 fighter making his Octagon debut here. This is not a good match-up to have for your UFC debut. Magny is a nightmare for a lot of fighters. This Thundercat is not going to roar against Neil Magny. It’s going to be a short night for Craig White.
Winner: Neil Magny, Submission, Round 1
Dan Plunkett: This is Magny’s follow-up bout to his win over Carlos Condit, and it’s his bout to lose. White, 14-7, was fortunate to get the call to the big show, but unfortunate to draw Magny on short notice.
Winner: Magny, Submission, Round 1
Catch-weight (174.5 lbs.) Bout: Stephen Thompson vs. Darren Till
Robert Winfree: I’m looking forward to this fight quite a bit. Darren Till has a style that, on paper and with a few caveats, should give Thompson a lot of trouble. Till has a hybrid of karate and Thai in his striking that allows him to bounce and snipe at distance or blitz to close range then follow up in tight proximity with more prolonged combinations and a variety of offense that has troubled a lot of fighters. Till also has an interesting ability to play either the elusive counter fighter or bully as the situation dictates. Till knowing the range and his adaptation of elements of the style that Thompson also brings should open up a bunch of Till’s offense, specifically kick the legs of Thompson as the totality of his game relies on his legs being useful. The major thing Till has to do is manage distance and attack the legs of Thompson while trying to corral him. If Till tries linear movement to pressure Thompson without attacking him to the legs or minding his defense Thompson could easily just snipe him at distance and run him around the cage while proving Till isn’t quite ready for this level of opposition. I favor Till though, he’s seen a lot of the things Thompson has used to befuddle other opponents.
Winner: Darren Till, TKO, Round 3
Jeffrey Harris: Darren Till is the prospect getting a ton of accolades and acclaim right now, and I am actually leaning toward Stephen Thompson right now. I think it’s very possible that Thompson is going to derail the Till hype train. Till has never faced a level of competition as high as what Thompson brings to the table. Thompson has his flaws, but he has a unique style that’s tough to fight and deal with. Not to mention, Thompson has improved his clinch game quite a bit as well. I see Thompson staying out of danger, and using his kicks and karate style to out-point and defeat a very tired and gassed out Till.
Winner: Stephen Thompson, Decision
Dan Plunkett: On Saturday, Till missed his mark and weighed in at 174.5 lbs. The deal that was struck to keep the bout alive included terms that Till must weigh-in at or below 188 lbs. by 1 PM local time tomorrow. As a big welterweight, that might affect Till’s rehydration process. Regardless of that, I like Thompson here. This is a major step up for Till, but Thompson has handled every top fighter he’s competed against the past few years, save Tyron Woodley. I think Thompson dictates the fight and stays a step ahead of the young contender.
Winner: Thompson, Decision
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