Tyron Woodley isn't giving up the welterweight belt anytime soon.
After The Chosen One secured the strap with a first-round knockout of Robbie Lawler in July, the 34-year-old defended his status as the class of the division with a majority-draw win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 205 on Saturday night.
The official score from the judges were 47-47, 47-47, 48-47 for Woodley, which is an accurate depiction of how close the fight was.
Per Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting, there was some confusion about the result from ring announcer Bruce Buffer:
Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer went so far as to say the match should have ended up as a draw:
ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne humorously noted what seemed to have happened during the reading of the results:
Thanks to his victory at Madison Square Garden in New York, Woodley has now won four straight UFC fights dating back to August 2014.
Woodley came close to finishing the fight in the fourth round with a guillotine choke, squeezing it tightly before Thompson was able to stay alive and try to bring the pressure in the fifth round. He had a terrific striking barrage early in the same round that helped set up his submission attempt, via the UFC on Twitter:
Not only did Woodley mount a successful title defense, but he halted Thompson's seven-fight win streak by virtue of the triumph.
With a fierce right hand that can serve as a one-punch silencer, Woodley has one of the most dangerous weapons in mixed martial arts at his disposal.
He's also gradually developed in to a more mature tactical fighter who can read and react with impressive skill.
"Nobody will confuse him with Anderson Silva or Conor McGregor in terms of depth of skill, but Woodley is a decent counterpuncher with excellent timing and speed," Bleacher Report's Patrick Wyman wrote.
Woodley's arsenal isn't without flaws, but his is power-packed style lends itself to entertaining fights that should continue to be staples of the promotion's biggest cards as he seeks to maintain a stranglehold on the welterweight belt in 2017.
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