A key welterweight scrap featuring two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson (14-2-1) and undefeated contender Darren Till (16-0-1) headlined Sunday’s action-packed UFC Liverpool card. Darren Till missed weight for this main event battle, but “Wonderboy” agreed to continue on with the contest with the stipulations that he received 30% of Till’s purse, and that Till weighed in at 188 pounds or less at 1:00pm local time on fight day.
After all of this pre-fight chaos, the fight went down as an absolute chess match, as the two world class strikers spent five incredibly close rounds attempting to figure one another out.
By the time the fifth round ended, some members of the MMA community scored it for Till, others scored it for Thompson. Similarly, some seemed to enjoy the fight, while others seemed to be struggling to stay awake.
In the end, the judges gave this one to the hometown hero Till. As is invariably the case when there’s a close decision in a big fight, there was a whole lot of controversy.
Here’s how the MMA community reacted to the fight itself, and the close decision it ended with.
Holding my breath during this fight ha
— Baldy Ed (@brianboom135) May 27, 2018
Till vs Wonderboy is a testament to horrible striking. They both talk big game and confidence but non of them believe in their striking. #WeakMinded
— Siyar Bahadurzada (@Siyarized) May 27, 2018
Boring bums! #TillvsWondrrboy
— Siyar Bahadurzada (@Siyarized) May 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/RdosAnjosMMA/status/1000828283485700096
High five game straaawng!!!! #ufcliverpool
— Emil Valhalla Meek (@emilvalhalla) May 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/emilvalhalla/status/1000829039777669125
https://twitter.com/dillondanis/status/1000829142156357633
Not the banger you wanted. But the high level chess match that you very much appreciate. Great fight to both men! @WonderboyMMA @darrentill2 @ufc
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) May 27, 2018
Darrell with a sweet game of paddy cake to edge out the choir boy. That should catapult him up the catchweight rankings. Fat fuck. .@darrentill2 #UFCLIVERPOOL #NerdBash2018
— Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) May 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/MMA_Jim/status/1000829126624849920
I have Thompson winning 48-47 #UFCLiverpool
— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) May 27, 2018
Before people potentially complain about scores after this one… You better realize how crazy close this fight is. All rounds are being edged.#UFCLiverpool
— Drake Riggs (@DrakeRiggs_) May 27, 2018
That decision pic.twitter.com/shM0jWnJfL
— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) May 27, 2018
Good show gentlemen . . . Touch don’t get touched. Way of the future. I’m a risk taker though. #YoungAndReckless #KillOrBeKilled #FightSmart #HitDontGetHit #Balance
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) May 27, 2018
Congrats Till on the Big win! #UFCLiverool pic.twitter.com/utG3s0GfFf
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) May 27, 2018
That post fight speech lol. Diaz level censorship. Props @darrentill2 #UFCLiverpool
— Kinch (@KinchMMA) May 27, 2018
How did you score Darren Till and Stephen Thompson’s razor thin battle in Liverpool?
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/27/2018.