UFC Predictions: UFC Vegas 17: Thompson vs. Neal predictions and picks
Despite losing its epic main event of Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev, UFC Vegas 17 remains one of 2020’s biggest UFC cards.
Sure, it doesn’t have the name value of a major UFC pay-per-view, but this is an insane card in sheer volume alone. With 15 fights on tap, it’s actually one of the deepest in UFC history.
Here are the predicted outcomes for UFC Vegas 17: Thompson vs. Neal.
Also tune in to the Cage Theory podcast as UFC 256 is reviewed and we look forward to the Wonderboy fight.
#1 UFC Welterweight division: Stephen Thompson vs. Geoff Neal
Okay, so this main event isn’t Chimaev vs. Edwards, but it’s still a solid UFC Welterweight bout in its own right. It pits the former UFC title challenger Wonderboy against one of the UFC’s most explosive prospects in Handz of Steel – but who takes the win?
Neal is 5-0 in his UFC career to date. A ridiculously athletic specimen, Neal’s bread-and-butter is his explosive kickboxing. He carries brutal knockout power in pretty much every strike he throws. And the fact that he was able to knock out Mike Perry is impressive given Perry’s strong chin.
As far as weaknesses go, Neal hasn’t really shown any yet. Belal Muhammad attempted to test his grappling but was simply shut down, and all of his other foes have been slaughtered.
This fight will be different, though, in that Thompson has built his UFC career on picking apart explosive strikers. The likes of Robert Whittaker, Jake Ellenberger, and Jorge Masvidal – all superior athletes to Wonderboy – barely laid a glove on him before they were dismantled.
So can Thompson do the same to Neal? It’s hard to say. It is true that explosive fighters have had some success against Wonderboy before – Tyron Woodley hurt him badly in their two fights while Anthony Pettis knocked him out. However, to beat him, expert timing is needed.
It is worth noting, though, that Wonderboy hasn’t fought since November 2019, and at 37, he isn’t getting any younger. He looked great in his last win, but a year has elapsed since, and at some point, those reflexes are going to slow down.
The smart pick here is probably Thompson. He’s lost fights before, but never to a fighter with the explosive striking of Neal. On the other hand, Handz of Steel has certainly never faced anyone like Wonderboy.
However, I’m going for the slight upset here, picking Neal by KO. I simply feel like he’s durable, powerful, and won’t go down easily. And with his unbelievable explosiveness and speed, he’s likely to catch the older Wonderboy at some point – and put him down for good.
The Pick: Neal via third-round KO