Stephen Thompson Defeats Geoff Neal By Unanimous Decision At UFC Vegas 17

Stephen Wonderboy Thompson

Stephen Thompson showed off his striking prowess tonight as he got the better of Geoff Neal for the full five rounds to win by decision in the main event of UFC Vegas 17.

Round One:

The final UFC main event of 2020 is underway in Las Vegas.

Quick kick upstairs from Thompson lands to the chest. Inside leg kick from Thompson. Now a side kick to the body from him.

Head kick attempt from Thompson is blocked. Right hand from Wonderboy now as Neal tries to figure his way into the fight. Thompson flashes out another kick.

Neal closes distance and unleashes a three-piece combo. Body kick from Thompson. Neal gets in and scores with a one-two, but Thompson returns fire.

One-two for Thompson. Spinning back kick to the body lands for Thompson. Now a one-two from him and a couple of more punches as he backs up.

Neal with a head kick attempt. Thompson with fast jabs and then a side kick to the body. Leg kick for Neal. Neal pressuring and lands a single punch.

Jab for Neal. Head kick attempt from Thompson is blocked. Snapping jab for Thompson. Spinning hook kick from Thompson doesn’t pay off.

Exchange of punches and both miss, but then clash heads and the forces a stoppage. Thompson and Neal both appear to have suffered a cut to the eyebrow from that, but they are ok to continue. Not much time before the end of the round as they get back to it.

Round two:

Side kick to the body for Wonderboy. Now a head kick attempt that’s blocked. Another crafty kick from him doesn’t quite land cleanly.

Neal drives into the clinch against the cage. Light punches to the head from Neal. He lands a harder punch, but that gives Thompson time to move away.

Right hand for Thompson. Another side kick now. He tries for a spinning wheel kick, but it’s blocked. Punches off Neal’s high guard and a kick behind it.

Body kick from Thompson and then a head kick that’s blocked. Neal presses forward and lands a kick. Solid body punch from Thompson. Now a low kick.

Jab for THompson and then a guard splitting straight. Another head kick attempt that’s blocked. Neal pumps out the jab. He’s having a hard time figuring out Wonderboy.

Neal trying to close Thompson down at the cage, but Wonderboy shows great lateral movement as he also lands a couple of punches and a body kick, then gets out of danger.

Jab for Thompson. Another jab lands. Body kick as he backs away. Neal lands a body kick of his own. Jab from Thompson. He goes for a head kick that’s blocked.

Neal swats at the bleeding at his eyebrow coming from that earlier clash of heads that’s being made worse by Thompson’s jabs. Neal trying to pressure Thompson, but it’s hard to track him down.

Neal backs Thompson up to the cage and unleashes a few punches, and one lands cleanly as the round ends.

Round Three:

Head kick attempt from Thompson. He lands a side kick to the body. Right hand from Thompson. Another blocked head kick.

Right hand for Neal and tries a head kick of his own that doesn’t pay off. Right hand for Thompson and his latest head kick attempt.

Body kick for Thompson. Neal crashes into him with grazing punches and then into the clinch against the cage. so far Thompson has controlled the fight, so Neal has to start changing the momentum as we head towards the midway point in the fight.

Knees to the thigh from Neal, but then they go back to striking range. Fast right hand for Thompson and a high kick. Jabs from Thompson now as his circles Neal.

Neal with the high guard and trying to close the distance. He lands a right hook and then into the clinch again. Thompson gets him off and goes back to kicking.

Thompson punches to the body. he lands there again. Thompson lunges in with a right hand. Left straight for Neal. he flashes his hands again.

Body kick from Neal and then into the clinch again. Thompson picks his moment to break away.

Body kick and punches from Thompson. He throws more punches. Stumble from Thompson. Left hand gets through for Neal. Kick for Thompson as the round ends.

Round Four:

Jab for Thompson. Solid right hand gets through for him. Jab for Neal. Jab for Thompson. Now it’s Neal with the jab again.

Thompson backing off throwing the right hand. Side kick to the body for Thompson and then a one-two. Body kick for Thompson and Neal gets into the clinch. Spinning backfist from him as they break apart.

Right straight for Thompson. Now jabs. Another right hand gets through. Solid left hand for Neal. Elbow lands from Thompson. Snapping jab from Wonderboy.

Side kick to the body for Thompson and then another kick. Neal attempts a kick and slips to the mat. Another side kick to the body from Thompson.

Spinning kick from Thompson but it’s his turn to slip. Nice left hand for Thompson. More punches. Body kick from Neal. Kick upstairs from Thompson just whistles over Neal’s head.

Hard body kick from Thompson. Right hand over the top from Neal and into the clinch again. Knees to the thigh from him. No sign of really getting a takedown so far in this fight though.

The round ends and Thompson immediately clutches at his leg. Back in his corner you can see a big lump above his right knee.

Round Five

Thompson gingerly moving on his right leg as they start the fifth round, but then starts bouncing on it and is ready to go.

Neal gets aggressive as he pressures forward with big punches. Thompson returns fire as they go toe-to-toe for a moment.

Thompson back to utilizing movement. He lands a body kick. two punches from Thompson and then one to the body. Counter right from Neal.

An exchange in close and Neal is swinging for the fences. Low leg kick from Thompson. Now a series of punches that come off the guard. He does so again. Now a leg kick.

Glancing left hand from Neal. Now an overhand. One-two for Thompson. Neal clinches up and presses Thompson to the cage.

Punches to the body from Neal as Wonderboy lands knees to the body. They finally break apart.

Cuffing right hook from Neal. Jab for Thompson. Right hook and nice spinning elbow from Neal. Hard left and a right from Neal, but then he backs up.

Thompson bleeding more to the face now but presses forward with a short flurry of punches and a single counter lands from Neal. Neal with a head – body combo. Another punch from him as the round ends.

Decision:

Masterful display of striking technique and constant movement from Thompson then as he brushes aside damage from a clash of heads and a nasty looking leg contusion on his way to a clean sweep unanimous decision victory (50-45 x3).

Ross launched MMA Insight (previously FightOfTheNight.com) in 2009 as a way to channel his passion for the sport of mixed martial arts. He's since penned countless news stories and live fight reports along with dozens of feature articles as the lead writer for the site, reaching millions of fans in the process.