UFC Liverpool Preview, Breakdown & Analysis

UFC Fight Night 130, which will take place tomorrow (May 27, 2018) morning live on FOX Sports 1 from the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, may not be the deepest card from top to bottom, but it certainly features some intriguing fights.

In the main event, former two-time welterweight title challenger and No. 1-ranked 170-pound contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson will take on Liverpool native and rising star Darren Till in a five-round bout. 

The co-main event, meanwhile, features another welterweight bout, as veteran Neil Magny is set to take on late replacement Craig White.

Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look into the fights topping off UFC Liverpool:

 

Stephen Thompson vs. Darren Till

In this fight, we have a bout between two of the best strikers in the division.

Thompson, an established contender, is coming off of a victory over Jorge Masvidal last November in New York City. Prior to that, he had fought divisional champion Tyron Woodley to a majority draw in November 2016 and lost a decision in the rematch this past March.

Stylistically, “Wonderboy” is an incredibly creative striker, hailing from a background in Karate, while also being a highly decorated kickboxer. Often fighting with his hands down, Thompson likes to draw opponents in where he then uses a unique, but effective brand of footwork to avoid damage and incorporate his counter-striking style.

Known most for his wide arsenal of kicks, Thompson is also dangerous with his hands in addition to possessing lethal pinpoint accuracy with all of his strikes. And while he may not be considered the most powerful puncher, 7 of his 14 professional victories have come by way of T/KO.

In terms of grappling, Thompson has typically been able to hold his own in the clinch and with the help of former middleweight champion Chris Weidman, his wrestling has improved tremendously over the years. And while he’s not known for his submission game, “Wonderboy” has shown solid defense if he does indeed get taken down.

Moving on to Till, the 25-year-old holds a 16-0-1 professional record is coming off of the biggest victory of his career, as he ran through longtime veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone last October in Gdansk, Poland.

Like Thompson, Till is an ultra-talented striker, although he comes from a Muay Thai background. A massive welterweight, Till fights out of the southpaw position and his best weapons are thrown from the left side. His counter left hand, which is a bit reminiscent of Conor McGregor‘s, is likely his best strike, but he also possesses some solid kicks, which are also often thrown from his left side.

And in terms of power, Till is likely one of the hardest hitters in the division, as 10 of his 16 professional victories have come by way of T/KO. Despite being a counter striker of sorts, the Englishman also implements a sense of aggressiveness when needed.

In terms of grappling, Till is skilled in the clinch due to his Muay Thai background, but he also has an underrated wrestling game, in my opinion, and should he be unable to find success on the feet, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see him shoot for a takedown in this bout.

Not primarily known for his submission game, Till is no slouch on the ground, as he’s proven to have a strong sense of awareness and defense. He also dishes out some brutal ground-and-pound from the top position.

Ultimately, I can truly see this fight going either way.

One one hand, I could see “Wonderboy” doing what he does best, avoiding big shots, and picking Till apart from the outside en route to scoring a decision victory. On the other, hand, however, I could see Till’s size and power being too much and him being the one to land the big shots.

In the end, I’m going to side with the Englishman. I think his self-confidence, his home advantage, and his talent will all play factors, as he scores the biggest victory of his career late in the fight.

Note: Following the writing of this, Till missed weight, weighing in 3.5 pounds over the 171-pound limit. He was fined 30% of his purse and will also have to weigh-in tomorrow morning before the fight and is unable to weigh over 188 lbs. The reasoning for Till missing weight was that he was forced to attend the hospital to tend to a family issue, so I don’t believe he was physically unable to make weight and he’s been medically cleared to fight as of now. What is concerning, however, is that he likely won’t be fully hydrated come fight time due to the second weigh-in. I’m going to stick with my original pick, favoring Till’s power, but I’m far from confident following this recent string of events.

Prediction: Darren Till def. Stephen Thompson via fourth-round TKO

Neil Magny vs. Craig White

Originally, Magny was scheduled to take on Gunnar Nelson, but Nelson was forced to withdraw due to injury, so Magny will be tasked with competing against White, who will be making his UFC debut on just 12 days’ notice after most recently competing in the Cage Warriors promotion.

Magny, a veteran of the welterweight division, has won five of his last seven bouts and is coming off of a decision victory over former interim titleholder Carlos Condit.

On the feet, Magny isn’t the most powerful fighter, as only six of his 20 professional victories have come by way of T/KO, but he is indeed a skilled striker. Possessing great length and a tremendous 80-inch reach, Magny often times remains mobile and keeps his distance while implementing his combinations behind a long and accurate jab.

In terms of grappling, Magny’s wrestling skills haven’t always gotten the credit they’ve deserved, in my opinion. He’s seen quite a bit of success from the body lock position in landing takedowns. Once on the ground, Magny is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, although he isn’t known much for his offensive submission game.

He has, however, been submitted four times.

Moving on to White, the Englishman is riding a four-fight winning streak that includes three submission victories and one TKO victory.

On the feet, White comes from a Taekwondo background, which can be seen a bit with his timing and his kicks. He also possesses some power in his hands, but his bread and butter lies in the grappling department, as 9 of his 14 professional victories have come by way of submission.

The guillotine choke seems to be a go-to move for White, as he’s finished four fights with it, but he’s also proven to be dangerous off of his back when an opponent is in his guard. Taking this fight to the canvas and hunting for the submission may be his best path to victory for him, although that is obviously easier said than done.

With this fight, I have a hard time picking against Magny. He’ll have to be cautious of White’s submission acumen, but I feel as if he’s too high level of a fighter for White to overcome on less than two weeks’ notice.

I’m not sure we’ll see a finish, but I expect Magny to leave with his hand raised.

Prediction: Neil Magny def. Craig White via unanimous decision