Preview: UFC Fight Night 130 ‘Thompson vs. Till’

Welterweights
Neil Magny (20-6) vs. Craig White (14-7)
Odds: Magny (-620), White (+460)

Cage Warriors alum White replaces Gunnar Nelson on five weeks’ notice to take on 18-time Octagon veteran Magny. “The Thundercat” has the look of a low-level action fighter, but not much beyond that. He has been to a decision only once in his 21-fight career, with most of his wins coming by submission. He has also been tapped four times, though. White has a taekwondo black belt, so his surprising kicks are a focal point of his game. He gets his lead left leg up quick to attack the head and body. The Team Lionheart rep throws combinations of punches and kicks early and often, but he is very tall in the pocket and his head is completely stationary, so he often looks to tie up as soon as the pocket starts to close. From there, White often attempts various trips and body-lock takedowns, but his judo is not a strength; he is reversed as often as not. And his own takedown defense is abysmal.

White’s game off his back will be the real problem against UFC-level talent, even in its current watered-down iteration. He shows no ability or desire to get up when planted. Instead, he attacks guillotines and triangles while elbowing and upkicking. On the regional scene, he had a reputation for ending fights covered in blood, and that strategy explains why. But he is a sitting duck for ground-and-pound and is not hard to advance position on. The flexibility of his legs allows him to get them back into play when his opponent is in side control or mount, but having to resort to such techniques is not a recipe for success at the highest level.

Magny seems uniquely equipped to give White a rude welcome to the big show. The Elevation Fight Team standout has finally slowed the unsustainable workrate that has marked most of his UFC run. He fought four or five times a year from 2013 to 2015 and three times in 2016 but only fought twice last year, and this will be his first match of 2018. Magny is coming off a clear-cut decision over former interim champion Carlos Condit in which Magny’s long-range weapons and wrestling flummoxed Condit and prevented him from establishing any kind of offensive rhythm. The TUF 16 veteran is not physically overpowering, but he has above average cardio and toughness to go along with a high-volume outfighting and wrestling attack. Jabs, crosses, front kicks, and round kicks to the legs and body pair nicely with an active clinch.

White may be more tentative than usual against a ranked fighter in his UFC debut, but he’ll soon wade forward with a multi-strike salvo that will expose his hips. Magny will put him on his back in short order, advance through White’s porous guard, take the back, and sink a rear-naked choke in the first round.

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