UFC Predictions: UFC Fight Night: Derrick Lewis vs. Chris Daukaus

#2. UFC welterweight division: Stephen Thompson vs. Belal Muhammad

Can Belal Muhammad make the step up to the elite level at welterweight by knocking off Stephen Thompson this weekend?

Like Derrick Lewis, Stephen Thompson is a fighter who has seen his UFC title dreams go up in flames during 2021. Had he beaten Gilbert Burns in July, there would’ve been an argument for him challenging welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman in 2022.

However, ‘Wonderboy’ was basically outworked in every area by Burns, knocking him out of title contention and into the realm of a high-end gatekeeper. It was arguably his worst UFC showing since his debut year in the promotion.

The next fighter on his list is Belal Muhammad. So can Thompson turn him away from the elite at 170 pounds, or will ‘Remember the Name’ throw his name into the hat of potential challengers for Usman?

Prior to his loss to Burns, Thompson probably would’ve been a safe bet here. His karate-based striking had never really been figured out in the UFC, even by those fighters who beat him. Only Tyron Woodley was able to have much success grappling with him.

However, Burns was able to drive through that striking to get ‘Wonderboy’ to the clinch, where he was then able to either take him down or grind on him en route to a unanimous decision.

Muhammad, an excellent wrestler in his own right, will undoubtedly be looking to replicate that gameplan. That means the question is whether Burns was able to pull it off because he’s that good, or whether Thompson is simply slowing down.

The latter would probably be understandable. ‘Wonderboy’ is approaching his 10th year with the UFC and he’s also 38 years old. If he is slowing down, then he’s had a great innings, but he probably won’t be capable of keeping Muhammad off him this weekend.

However, if that isn’t the case, then there’s every chance he will win this fight. ‘Remember the Name’ has simply not done anything to suggest that he’s on the level of Burns, with his biggest win being over a past-his-prime Demian Maia.

It’s a hard one to pick, but given that he hasn’t absorbed too much damage over the years, it’s probably fair to bet that ‘Wonderboy’ has more left in the tank than the Burns fight suggested. Therefore, Thompson via decision is the pick.

The Pick: Thompson via unanimous decision