Welterweight contender Stephen Thompson (14-3, 7 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (21-8, 9 KOs, 8 SUBs) at UFC Fight Night 148 on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The card airs live starting 5pm PDT.
This Saturday’s main event between Stephen Thompson and Anthony Pettis isn’t a money fight nor is it just a fun fight, but it’s in a satisfying realm somewhere in between. Thompson is still highly ranked at 170, but he’s not fighting for the title any time soon. Pettis is coming up from lightweight after getting hammered by Tony Ferguson, once again outside of the 155-pound title mix.
But since they’ve show that they can be highly entertaining kickboxers, the UFC is hoping for some fireworks by throwing them into a headliner. The best versions of Thompson and Pettis are dudes that look like they belong in a kung fu movie - Thompson’s destruction of Johny Hendricks and Pettis’ “Showtime” kick immediately comes to mind.
The upside? Thompson gets a chance to jump back into the spotlight against a name opponent. He’s been in some seriously lackluster scraps lately and has lost the fan favorite label. It’s even better for Pettis: if he loses, no worries - he’s not supposed to beat a bigger fighter anyway. But if he wins? All of a sudden he’s a welterweight contender. Smart move by Pettis.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best online betting options. Live UFC betting is also available between rounds during the fight, just in case you want to hedge any of your previous plays.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Stephen Thompson -400
Anthony Pettis +295
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -110 / -130
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Thompson 3.45 / Pettis 2.85
Accuracy: Thompson 42% / Pettis 45%
Absorbed per minute: Thompson 2.51 / Pettis 3.16
Defense: Thompson 60%/ Pettis 54%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Thompson 0.41 / Pettis 0.76
Takedown accuracy: Thompson 45% / Pettis 54%
Takedown defense: Thompson 78% / Pettis 58%
Submission average: Thompson 0 / Pettis ?
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We can safely assume that this is going to be a kickboxing match. Both guys know what they’re here to do: to put on a striking show. Thompson absolutely doesn’t want to grapple, and though Pettis is a dangerous submission artist it’s hard seeing him being able to force this to the mat.
The storyline here is how Pettis will handle himself against a taller, longer karate stylist. At 5’10”, Showtime is two inches shorter and gives up three inches of reach. Making it more difficult is the fact that Wonderboy fights even longer than he is, using his long legs to throw a variety of blistering kicks at all levels. Thompson’s bouncy side stance is also something you don’t see very often.
Pettis will need to be his most creative self here. He can’t let Thompson establish a rhythm, and because the former champ doesn’t pose a takedown threat Wonderboy will be able to open up more. But the reverse holds true for Pettis too, which is fortunate since we’ve seen great wrestlers completely smother him.
UFC Odds Pick: Thompson to win at -400
Temper your expectations here: both guys can settle into counterstrike mode when they respect their opponents too much. In the end, we think Thompson is the easy pick. His distance and range will be too much, and Pettis might have trouble sustaining any sort of offensive momentum.
Bet on UFC odds online at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC Fight Night 148 takes place on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The card airs live starting 5pm PDT.
