Stephen Thompson doesn’t sound too worried about the striking of Darren Till.
Thompson and Till are set to clash in the main event of UFC Liverpool. The action takes place inside the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England on May 27. Tickets have already been sold out.
Going into this bout, Till has a professional mixed martial arts record of 16-0-1. Of his 16 victories, 10 have come via knockout. “The Gorilla” also has two submission wins to his credit and has only gone the distance five times.
This will be his biggest test to date as Thompson is the number one ranked UFC welterweight and is a two-time title challenger. Only Matt Brown and Tyron Woodley have been able to thwart “Wonderboy.”
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Thompson said he believes he’s competed against more formidable stand-up fighters (via MMAMania.com):
“I think I’ve faced better strikers. I think Rory MacDonald is a great striker, I think Jorge Masvidal is an excellent striker. I think [Till is] kind of predictable. I think him coming out there, he might have a few tricks up his sleeve, but whenever you’re pushed, whenever you’re pressured you always go back to the way you usually fight. I remember Johny Hendricks coming out there saying he’s got something new, but whenever he was pressured he went back to his old self, and that’s what made it easy.”
Thompson’s last bout was back in November. He defeated Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision on the main card of UFC 217. Prior to that bout, he competed in two welterweight title bouts against Woodley. The first fight ended in a draw, while Thompson fell short in the rematch by majority decision.
Be sure to stick with MMANews.com for coverage of UFC Liverpool.
How do you think Stephen Thompson vs. Darren Till will end?
