The most prestigious belt in combat sports is no longer up for grabs on February 6th. A highly anticipated rematch between Fabircio Werdum and Cain Velasquez was originally slated as the main event for UFC 196 in Las Vegas until injuries forced both competitors out of the bout.

Werdum secured the title as Undisputed Champion at UFC 188 when he submitted Velasquez by guillotine choke in the third round. Velasquez who has been plagued with injuries in the past was sidelined due to a troubling back issue which forced him out of the contest, Werdum pulled out the following day.

With the Heavyweight Title fight being cancelled the UFC has called on co-main event fighters Johny Hendricks (17-3) and Stephen Thompson (11-1) to carry the heavy load. The UFC have also decided to remove the event from Pay Per View and air it for free on Fox Sports 1 after many fans claimed the new main event was not PPV worthy. Regardless of the main events popularity status, it is an intriguing matchup between two fighters with contrasting styles.

Hendricks is no stranger to the main event status. The former UFC Welterwight champion has shared the spotlight with some of the sport’s biggest names in Georges St-Pierre and Robbie Lawler. Despite being used to the presence of the big bright lights, Hendricks has perhaps never been under as much pressure to perform in his career. At UFC 192 in October of last year Hendricks was forced to pull out of his fight last minute due to weight cutting issues leaving a furious on weight Tyron Woodley without an opponent. Hendricks received quite the backlash from both fighters and fans alike for his unprofessional behaviour.

Scrutiny aside Hendricks is still one of the toughest outs for any fighter in the Welterweight division. With ferocious knockout power and a highly decorated amateur wrestling background, Hendricks is sure to be Thompson’s toughest test to date. Hendricks has many ways to win this fight, however, using his superior wrestling to control Wonderboy Thompson on the ground might be his safest bet. Look to Hendricks’s last fight as an example where he was able to decisively defeat Matt Brown and nullify his dangerous Muay Thai with his decorated wrestling pedigree.

In Wonderboy Thompson you have one of the most talented and creative traditional Martial Artists in MMA today. He entered MMA as an undefeated kick boxer who has studied Kempo Karate since he was a young child. Riding a five fight winning streak that includes three knockouts it is safe to say that Thompson is truly finding his feet in the UFC. With help from former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman, Wonderboy has progressed significantly in his takedown defence which aids him in using his elite level striking techniques. This improvement was most evident in Thompsons’s last contest where he was able to stuff the takedown attempts from a talented wrestler in Jake Ellenberger before dispatching him on the feet with a spinning hook kick in the first round. Wonderboy will be looking to replicate that game plan in his clash with Hendricks.

It is stylistic matchups like this that make MMA such an interesting sport where it is particularly hard to predict the outcome. With that being said leave a comment below and tell us who you think will win this epic showdown.

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