Stephen Thompson has finally earned his shot at the UFC's welterweight belt. It took seven consecutive wins—including a spinning-hook-kick knockout of Jake Ellenberger, a first-round knockout of former champion Johny Hendricks and a clean decision over former title contender Rory MacDonald—but at long last, Wonderboy will fight with the belt on the line.
Facing him across the Octagon will be newly minted champion Tyron Woodley, who made the most of his unexpected title shot in July by knocking out the venerable and beloved Robbie Lawler with a thunderous right hand. Prior to that, Woodley had been on the shelf for 18 months following a contentious decision win over Kelvin Gastelum and a devastating knockout of Dong Hyun Kim.