UFC Fight Night: Stephen Thompson vs. Geoff Neal Betting Guide
After UFC 256 produced one of the most exciting main events of the year, UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal looks to bring a splash into what will be the final fight night of a very busy 2020 for the UFC.
Since becoming one of the first major sports organizations in the world to venture out into mid-pandemic events, the company has continued to operate almost flawlessly amidst the challenges.
Hosting events from Florida to Abu Dhabi since the pandemic started, the majority of their events have been at the UFC Apex at the company’s home in Las Vegas, NV, which is exactly where Saturday’s card will take place.
| Geoffry Neal | -110 | -112 | -125 | -110 |
| Stephen Thompson | -110 | -112 | +105 | -110 |
Betting Profile: Stephen Thompson (15-4-1)
Last Five Fights
| W | L | L | W | L |
When it comes to martial arts styles, it’s hard to put Stephen Thompson in any kind of a box. A black belt in American Kickboxing, in which he holds a perfect record of 58-0, Thompson also holds a 5th-degree black belt in Tetsushin-ryū Kempo, a 1st-degree black belt in Jujutsu, and a Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
A credit to his elusiveness, Thompson absorbs just 2.73 strikes per minute inside the octagon and is a difficult matchup for almost every fighter he faces. Because it’s so hard to prepare for a fighter who can do so much, you often see Thompson’s fights go long, with his average fight time of 13:49 being one of the highest in the welterweight division.
Betting Profile: Geoff Neal (13-2-0)
Last Five Fights
| W | W | W | W | W |
For the relative UFC newcomer Geoff Neal, a perfect record inside the UFC octagon is at stake on Saturday night. With only one of his six fights going past the second round thus far, this unorthodox southpaw has proved to be a problem for nearly everyone’s he’s faced.
With a staggering 6.04 strikes landed per minute, Neal has gotten the attention of Dana White and has secured pay-per-view cards in three of those six appearances. If he can make another splash in what will be his first main event under the UFC banner, even larger paydays almost certainly await.
Outright Bet
While Neal’s short time in the UFC has no doubt been impressive, and a long future likely awaits the 30-year-old, he’s taking a significant step up in this one against a veteran in Thompson.
Though the “Wonderboy” might no longer be the youth he was when he earned the nickname, I do think his experience in big fights helps here in the biggest fight of Neal’s life.
Pick: Stephen Thompson -110 (FanDuel)
Top Prop Bet
As mentioned above, all of Neal’s fights have been relatively short, and he’s been able to handle business well inside the final bell. Thompson, on the other hand, has had just one fight finish inside the distance since 2016, as his mix of styles is difficult to figure out even for the seasoned pro.
In what I have as closer to -200, I’m taking the fourth round, at a minimum, to start in this one.
Pick: Fight To Start Round 4 – Yes -134 (FanDuel)
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.