Woodley vs. Thompson 2: UFC 209 Odds, Predictions and Pre-Fight Twitter Hype

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The rematch for the UFC welterweight title is just one day away as Tyron Woodley will look to defend his belt for the second time against Stephen Thompson Saturday night in Las Vegas for UFC 209.

After a majority decision between Wonderboy and Woodley left both fighters feeling unsatisfied, they decided to run things back for one try. Woodley had Thompson on the ropes—or with his back against the cage—in the fourth round, but Thompson showed a lot of heart and grit that did him well on the scorecards.

Fortunately for fight fans, neither fighter wants to see this rematch go to the judges again.

Woodley, although he is the undisputed champion in the 170-pound division, is coming into Saturday as the underdog at +130, and on the flip side, Wonderboy is favored at -160, according to OddsShark.

Even though Thompson is one of the nicest guys in the division and in the organization, there's still some bad blood between Woodley and himself, and it's obvious to see why. 

No athlete wants to draw against an opponent, especially in a sport where lives are put on the line inside of a cage. Woodley dominated the opening five minutes of their first fight back in November at UFC 205 but never looked for another takedown after the opening frame. The Chosen One chose to stand up with Thompson and challenge his karate and kickboxing skill, which might not have been the best strategy in the world.

It's no secret that Thompson doesn't want this fight to go back to the ground this time around, but whatever his true game plan is will remain a mystery until the Octagon cage is locked in Saturday's main event.

Thompson's dad doesn't have to tell us the game plan: we already know he wants to stay on his feet against a superior wrestler.

Woodley is a very underrated wrestler when he gets on the ground. His strength and body control is elite, but he also has a very strong standup game with his heavy leg kicks, when he chooses to throw them, and a devastating right hook that can knock any fighter's socks off, regardless of weight class.

Just take a look at the hand speed and power that he puts behind his shots during his open workout below:

There is a lot on the line in this fight for Woodley, more so than there is for Wonderboy. Thompson could lose this fight and still have a very strong following, but Woodley doesn't have the best public relations with his fans, often being called a drama queen by UFC diehards, including UFC President Dana White.

It's all fun and games, of course. But Woodley has said that he wants to be known as the greatest welterweight champion of all time, as he told TMZ Sports. How does he do that? By finishing off No. 1 contenders in title fights on a consistent basis.

That's a lot of pressure for one fighter to put on himself, especially when you consider the history of the 170-pound division and its great champions. All this pressure might be too much for Woodley's shoulders to carry, which may be advantageous to Wonderboy come Saturday. 

Who will be the more relaxed fighter on Saturday night? More importantly, who will be looking to take over this fight and get a finish?

Prediction

Woodley thinks he's on a mission. He believes that being the greatest undisputed champion of all-time is his destiny. Unfortunately for him, he's wrong. 

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Thompson didn't show what he's capable of at UFC 205. There was very little creativity shown: far too few wheelhouse kicks, hesitancy with his strikes and not even pressure put on his opponent. That will all change Saturday night when Wonderboy reminds fight fans why he is the No. 1 contender after taking out the likes of Johny Hendricks and Rory McDonald en route to a title fight. 

Look for Thompson to create distance early with leg kicks and strikes to the body to wear down Woodley. For as great of shape Woodley is in, all that muscle he carries around does take its toll, especially in a five-round fight. 

Wonderboy will land some nice wheelhouse kicks while showing off his full arsenal of karate and kickboxing maneuvers. Woodley will soon realize that he's falling behind on the scorecards and look to finish the fight with wild punches and desperate takedown attempts, but Thompson will fight smart and efficiently, earning the unanimous decision after a dominant five-round fight to become the division's new champion.