When UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson first met at UFC 205 on Nov. 12, the result was just the second draw in modern UFC title fight history.
And although Woodley initially expressed interest in moving on from Thompson, the two will run it back this Saturday at UFC 209 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This rivalry, after all, needs closure.
Also of note: The term "co-headliner" is often used in MMA, even when a co-main event is really little more than simply the second-to-last fight of the night. But at UFC 209, we'll get a legitimate co-feature when Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson meet for the interim lightweight title.
Yes, Irish superstar and reigning lightweight champion Conor McGregor looms large, but both Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have a legitimate claim to the title "best lightweight in the world." This is one of the top matchups the UFC roster can produce, period.
ESPN.com is here to break down everything you need to know about UFC 209 with its latest edition of Cheat Sheets.
Tyron Woodley (16-3-1) vs. Stephen Thompson (13-1-1), UFC welterweight championship
Odds as of March 2: Thompson -170; Woodley +150
The case of Tyron Woodley: Drama queen or mistreated champ?
Good things come to those who wait. When it's all said and done, no one may understand this more than Tyron Woodley.
Woodley, 34, already knows a thing or two about "waiting." He didn't fight for an 18-month stretch between 2015 and 2016, in part because he was waiting for a UFC title shot. And since he knocked out former champion Robbie Lawler to win the welterweight title last July, Woodley has been waiting for something else: respect.
It's almost become a tired storyline heading into UFC 209 -- the chip on Woodley's shoulder. It made national headlines in January, when Woodley, who grew up in Ferguson, Missouri, claimed he was the "worst-treated champion in the history of the UFC" on SportsCenter, and he said race was partially behind it. UFC president Dana White responded by calling Woodley "a drama queen."
Naturally, that back-and-forth has been a hot topic of conversation going into Woodley's title defense, one he hasn't shied away from because he believes it would be a disservice to do so now.
"My whole reason for speaking out is that a lot of people feel there's this issue in the sport, but they're too scared to say it," Woodley said. "It was going down in my [direct messages] after that. Everybody was going, 'Oh my God, I've experienced this. I can't believe you said it. It's so true.'
"We're talking about former and current UFC champions. They came out of the woodwork. It was only to put the conversation on tape, make it to where people can't sweep it under the rug."
Woodley's critics have countered that his perceived lack of respect is of his own doing. They say he's trying to duck contenders in his division in favor of "money fights." And it even goes back to before he won the title, when he elected to sit out and wait for that title shot.
Calculated moves -- which in this case obviously worked out in Woodley's favor -- usually don't win over fight fans. Fight fans will always prefer risk-taking. Both in fighting style and career management.
For Woodley, seeing the level of respect and appreciation he feels he's already earned is going to take some time. Not only is it something he'll once again have to wait for -- he'll have to earn it over and over. Because as of right now, it probably won't come in the form of one big night.
Woodley isn't pulling the high-profile Georges St-Pierre comeback fight. Nor is he being asked if he wants to move up in weight and capture a second belt. At the moment, he can't even persuade Nick Diaz to challenge him for the welterweight title. It's more likely Woodley's path to what he wants will be a long one, and he knows it.
"There's going to come a time when every welterweight is going to be ran through by me and I'm going to have the strongest resume as far as entertainment movies, commercials, television, celebrity networking -- all the things I'm doing outside the Octagon," Woodley said. "It's going to be undeniable you have to give me my respect."
'He hasn't seen 100 percent Stephen Thompson'
The worst moments of Thompson's MMA career arguably occurred in the fourth round of that majority draw against Woodley in November.
Thompson was dropped, twice, by Woodley's right hand. Moments later, he found himself in a deep guillotine. With a minute left in the round, Thompson freed his head and survived the choke, which, in addition to saving his consciousness that night, ultimately led to this weekend's immediate title fight rematch.
In the buildup to this rematch, Woodley has often spoke about that fourth round. Woodley believes it was the most memorable moment of the fight and shows he's the more dangerous finisher between the two. For Thompson, a former professional kickboxer, that moment symbolizes something else.
"Knowing that I went five rounds and took his best shot, even ended up finishing the fourth round on top, gives me confidence," Thompson said. "He smoked me with two right hands. I've seen that and I've felt it now. He hasn't seen 100 percent Stephen Thompson. He hasn't seen my best yet."
Fight breakdown
Another reason Woodley loves to point out his dominant fourth round against Thompson is just that -- it was the fourth round.
Historically, Woodley's endurance has been a source of speculation. UFC commentator Joe Rogan loves to comment on his muscular frame and how that potentially lends itself to gassing out. Woodley's style also can include very high-intensity moves -- whether it's the takedown attempt or the lightning right hand. Traditionally, those high-exertion moves also can gas someone out.
Because some of his best moments against Thompson occurred within the later championship rounds, Woodley feels vindicated regarding his ability to go five rounds. And it's true that he actually threw more strikes than Thompson did over those 25 minutes. Thompson has promised to be "less hesitant" in the rematch, saying he doesn't know why he didn't set a higher pace the first time around.
This could be a big key in the rematch: Thompson's desire to set a higher pace, while still showing a great deal of respect for Woodley's right hand and wrestling ability. In the first fight, Thompson threw a kick in the opening round that Woodley caught and turned into a takedown. You could tell that made Thompson think twice about throwing kicks. It's reasonable to think he'd love to throw a lot more this time, but has he devised a way to do so without being taken down? That's probably something to look for early.
As for Woodley, does he have a way to take Thompson down more frequently? Common sense suggests that'd be in his favor. Woodley was thoroughly dominant from the top in the first fight, but it happened only in that first round. Despite his collegiate wrestling background, Woodley's style against elite competition has never been to sell out on a takedown the entire time. But if he figured out a way to score more of them without blowing a ton of energy, there's a good chance that becomes the determining factor on Saturday.
Woodley didn't want this rematch right away, but if there's a silver lining, it's that all of that unorthodox striking Thompson brings to the table is still very fresh. Woodley essentially has been sparring karate opponents for half a year now. Because of this, he's obviously more familiar with the techniques of Thompson -- but he says it also has made him more attune to the mindset of that style.
One great thing about this rematch is that it's almost a throwback to the good ol' days: Which martial art rules supreme? These are two well-rounded fighters, but stylistically they are light years apart. Now they each have the benefit of familiarity, plus four months of making adjustments to ensure their style is the one that dictates the fight. This should be good.
Prediction: Woodley via TKO, third round