#4 Tyrone Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson
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It was speculated that after making it through one war after another against the likes of McDonald and Condit, Robbie Lawler would have definitely shown signs of physical and mental deterioration in his camp and training.
The sheer amount of punishment that he absorbed on his way to the belt and while defending it, may have accumulated to a point where it might begin to tip over and affect the way he trains and prepares for a fight.
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This speculation was soon to be validated in Lawler's next title defence against fellow American Top Team training partner and number one contender, Tyrone Woodley, who then went on to defeat Lawler at UFC 201 with a blistering one punch knockout, literally laying waste to Lawler's attempt at moving away and maintaining distance.
The speed with which Woodley covered the distance was terrifying, to say the least.
Meanwhile, Stephen Thompson had established himself as the number one contender and next in line, after sporting many beautiful head kick knockout finishes, including a destruction of former Champion Johnny Hendricks.
The two finally met at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden.
The fight began and Thompson started with light jabs and feints, testing and quantifying Woodley's movement and options. Woodley then took him down and unleashed an onslaught of heavy ground and pound.
It took some time for Thompson to get back on track and win another round with a good variety of attacks from the outside.
Suddenly, Woodley caught Thompson with a huge overhand right, akin to the one that finished Robbie Lawler. This rattled Thompson and Woodley then tried to catch his challenger in a guillotine, which Wonderboy went on to escape diligently, all while capturing people's attention to the very last second of the fight.
Woodley ended up silencing his critics on his ability to stand up with Thompson and the latter showed heart and resilience under adversity, which won him the respect of many fans around the world.
In one of the more confusing moments for Bruce Buffer, the fight ended in a draw and a rematch is now underway for this instant classic.
