UFC Fight Night 130 Betting Preview: Thompson vs Till 

UFC Fight Night 130 is set for Sunday, May 27, from the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. The main event features Darren Till, a Liverpool favorite son, and Stephen Thompson, a two-time challenger, in a welterweight bout. The early preliminary bouts are available on UFC Fight Pass starting at 10am Eastern time. An hour later, the preliminary bouts are set for FS2, with the main card starting at 1:00 on FS1. Check out the fight card as well as our MMA betting insights on the main event.

UFC Fight Night 130 Betting Preview: Thompson vs Till 

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

• Elias Theodorou vs Trevor Smith
• Lina Lansberg vs Gina Mazany

Preliminary Card (FS2)

• Claudio Silva vs Nordine Taleb
• Tom Breese vs Daniel Kelly
• Brad Scott vs Carlo Pedersoli Jr.
• Gillian Robertson vs Molly McCann

Main Card (FS1)

• Darren Till vs Stephen Thompson
• Neil Magny vs Craig White
• Arnold Allen vs Mads Burnell
• Makwan Amirkhani vs Jason Knight
• Manny Bermudez vs David Grant
• Eric Spicely vs Darren Stewart

Darren Till (16-0-1, 10 KO) (+162) vs Stephen Thompson (14-2-1, 7 KO) (-188)

This one features a hometown favorite against a challenger with more skins on the wall. Thompson has won six of his last eight bouts, most recently taking down Jorge Masvidal back in November. In that fight, he landed 70 strikes and knocked Masvidal down in the second round, making a convincing comeback from his setback against Tyron Woodley in his prior bout. His strike accuracy rating is 44 percent, and he averages 3.8 significant strikes per minute. His takedown accuracy rating is 50 percent, and he averaging 0.48 takedowns per match. He is both strong and quick with his strikes, and he has brought three of his last six wins to an end in the opening round. He can also kickbox effectively, with a long reach, but he can also stand and fight. His cardio is elite, which is why he fights well into the later rounds. He can defend against the takedown (which should help him against Till), as he has shown by being taken down just twice in his last four bouts, which is one reason why he has never been finished. He has delivered knockout wins against Robert Whittaker and Johny Hendricks, so he has outpunched some welterweights who bring big bombs into the Octagon. Till has won five of his last six bouts, and his most recent fight saw him defeat Donald Cerrone back in October. His strike accuracy rating is higher (52 percent) but he doesn’t average as many significant strikes per minute (3.2). He averages 0.8 takedowns per fight, with an accuracy rating of 33 percent. In that win over Cerrone, he earned Performance of the Night honors because of the knockout that he delivered. He uses a blend of Muay Thai, standing and striking, and also taking opponents to the ground. His hands have considerable power, particularly with his uppercut. He’s just 25 years old, so he has several title contentions in his future if he can keep his form and avoid injuries. He has made it into the top ten welterweight rankings thanks to that whipping of Cerrone. Expect Till to go for the big bomb against Thompson, so that Thompson cannot wear Till down with his superior cardio and his experience in the sport. Thompson has the better resume and greater versatility, because of his background in kickboxing. In Till, he meets a rising star in the promotion and an elite striker for this point in his career. Till’s ability to deliver one solid punch and end the fight should have Thompson thinking, but Thompson has the experience to handle this. But can he win in front of Till’s home crowd? MMA Betting Prediction: Till wins via knockout