Colby Thicknesse

"Slickness"
2-1
Record
Age / DOB 26
(Jun 23, 1999)
Height 5' 7"
Weight 135 lbs.
Reach 69.0"
Stance Orthodox
Career Averages
3.33 Sig. Strikes / Min
42.0% Sig. Strike Acc.
2.8 Absorbed / Min
50.0% Strike Defense
1.0 TD Avg / 15 min
9.0% TD Accuracy
50.0% TD Defense
0.5 Sub. / Fight
Win Methods (2)
KO/TKO 0
Submission 0
Decision 2
Loss Methods (1)
KO/TKO 0
Submission 0
Decision 1

Fight History

Result / Opponent
Event & Date
Method/Round
Links
Comments
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Colby Thicknesse 0 46 of 117 39% 57 of 132 0 of 6 0% 4 1 3:01
Vince Morales 0 48 of 121 39% 56 of 134 2 of 2 100% 0 1 3:34
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Colby Thicknesse 0 6 of 14 42% 13 of 23 0 of 2 0% 4 1 2:20
Vince Morales 0 5 of 15 33% 7 of 18 1 of 1 100% 0 1 1:44
2 Colby Thicknesse 0 27 of 54 50% 29 of 56 0 of 3 0% 0 0 0:41
Vince Morales 0 18 of 55 32% 19 of 57 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
3 Colby Thicknesse 0 13 of 49 26% 15 of 53 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
Vince Morales 0 25 of 51 49% 30 of 59 1 of 1 100% 0 0 1:50
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Colby Thicknesse 46 of 117 39% 15 of 73 21 of 32 10 of 12 43 of 112 3 of 5 0 of 0
Vince Morales 48 of 121 39% 37 of 103 9 of 15 2 of 3 42 of 112 5 of 8 1 of 1
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Colby Thicknesse 6 of 14 42% 2 of 8 2 of 3 2 of 3 5 of 13 1 of 1 0 of 0
Vince Morales 5 of 15 33% 4 of 13 1 of 1 0 of 1 4 of 14 1 of 1 0 of 0
2 Colby Thicknesse 27 of 54 50% 8 of 30 15 of 19 4 of 5 27 of 53 0 of 1 0 of 0
Vince Morales 18 of 55 32% 14 of 47 3 of 7 1 of 1 16 of 52 2 of 3 0 of 0
3 Colby Thicknesse 13 of 49 26% 5 of 35 4 of 10 4 of 4 11 of 46 2 of 3 0 of 0
Vince Morales 25 of 51 49% 19 of 43 5 of 7 1 of 1 22 of 46 2 of 4 1 of 1
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Vince Morales vs. Colby Thicknesse

Round 1
After a tough loss for the local in the last bout, Thicknesse (8-1; 1-1 UFC) will try to reignite the Aussie faithful against Morales (16-10; 3-8 UFC) in this bantamweight prelim. Dan Movahedi is the referee. Both men are in orthodox stance, and Thicknesse reaches out and touches Morales’ guard with an immediate high kick. Morales is pressing the issue, marching forward and crowding the lanky Australian. Morales swings his way into the pocket and backs Thicknesse to the fence. Thicknesse changes levels and Morales counters with a front headlock. Thicknesse pops his head out and grabs a guillotine choke of his own, falling to his seat near the fence. Morales pulls his head out of danger and stands over Thicknesse. Thicknesse explodes up and moves to Morales’ back, sinking his hooks and looking for a choke. Morales shakes him off over the top, but Thicknesse follows him beautifully, snaring him in a triangle choke. Morales fights the hold, rolling over, and Thicknesse switches to a triangle armbar. It’s big trouble again, but Morales keeps working, doesn’t panic, and after a few tense moments, escapes. Thicknesse bails on the submission attempt but takes top position and starts dropping punches. Thicknesse takes Morales’ back with under a minute to go and is fishing for a choke. Morales fights off the attempts and sweeps to top position with 30 seconds to go. The round ends with the American in half guard. 10-9 Thicknesse.

Round 2
Morales is on the front foot once again to start Round 2, throwing punches and forcing Thicknesse to back off. Thicknesse circles, refusing to be corralled against the fence. Morales pops his man with a nice jab, then counters a low kick with a solid right hand. A minute in, Thicknesse grabs a snatch single-leg, but Morales hops away and frees his leg with ease. Morales seems to have the sharper hands here, as he is landing clean single strikes and getting away unscathed. Thicknesse throws a body kick, then lands a spinning back elbow when Morales catches his leg. Thicknesse cliches, takes an overhook and tries to throw Morales, but Morales is wise to it. They stumble to the fence together and Thicknesse takes Morales’ back standing. He can’t secure the position, however, and Morales moves away from the fence. Morales catches Thicknesse coming in with a couple of good punches. Morales counters a front kick with a right hand. Under 30 seconds to go, and they exchange glancing shots until the horn. 10-9 Morales.

Round 3
They touch gloves to open the final round and Morales comes forward swinging. Thicknesse stands his ground and fires off a kick to the midsection. Morales counters with punches. Morales takes the center of the cage and Thicknesse throws a spinning elbow that comes up badly short. Morales is dialed in with his boxing, landing two-handed combinations that aren’t carrying a ton of power, but are accurate. Thicknesse is not giving back much on the feet, missing with single overhand power shots. They clinch near the fence and Morales tosses Thicknesse to the canvas, then declines to follow him down, instead letting him get back up. Morales catches Thicknesse with a short right hand that wobbles him badly. He gives chase, swarming with punches, then grabs a front headlock and attacks with a guillotine choke. Thicknesse survives, scrambles away but gives up his back. Morales takes back mount and fights for a rear-naked choke. There’s under a minute left, but Thicknesse is calmly fighting the choke. Morales gives up on the choke and returns to his feet, dropping a few final punches before the horn. 10-9 Morales (29-28 Morales).

The Official Result
Colby Thicknesse def. Vince Morales via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Expert Picks (10)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Apr 26, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Colby Thicknesse

Angelo picks Colby Thicknesse due to his wrestling advantage and ability to exploit Vince Morales's poor takedown defense. He notes that Morales is on a three-fight losing streak and tends to fizzle if he doesn't get an early finish. Angelo expects a close fight but believes Colby's wrestling and potential Australian judge bias will secure the win.

"Kobe's going to be the pick. I think we're good there."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Apr 29, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Vince Morales

Big Brady picks Vince Morales to win by submission in the second round. He criticizes Colby Thicknesse's striking as nonexistent and his wrestling as poor, citing low takedown success rates. Brady praises Morales' underrated grappling and front chokes, and expects him to capitalize on Thicknesse's desperation in grappling exchanges.

Morales by submission, round 2
"I'm going to take Vince Morales to win this fight and actually win this fight by submission in the second round."
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked Apr 30, 2026 (2 days before fight)
Colby Thicknesse

Cody picks Thicknesse but is hesitant, noting Morales' submission threat. He believes Thicknesse's volume and home crowd will edge a decision, but warns against shooting into submissions.

"I did take Kobe thickness but as far as live underdogs go that I'm not taking but I do believe are definitely a threat yeah Vince is in that category."
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Lean picked May 1, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Colby Thicknesse

Connor picks Thicknesse, noting that Morales is a total head case who cannot stick to a winning strategy. He thinks Thicknesse's doggedness and toughness could cause Morales to overthink and make mistakes. He points out that Thicknesse is hard to finish and constantly scrambles, which might frustrate Morales.

"I just want to say that he is consistently tough and trying to make the fight happen and I think there's a non-zero chance that it might be Alice forgets to continue beating him as you know, it's very true."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Lean picked Apr 29, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Vince Morales

Daniel Vreeland picks Vince Morales to upset Colby Thicknesse, believing Morales is the better fighter despite his poor record. He notes Morales' veteran savvy and submission threat, while Thicknesse's skills are questionable. He admits it's hard to have confidence in Morales.

"I'm actually going to go Vince Morales here to upset Colobby Thickness in Australia."
LU
Lucrative James Expert Lean picked Apr 26, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Vince Morales

Lucrative James picks Vince Morales to win via decision. He expects a close fight where Morales' experience and striking edge, combined with his ability to get back to his feet after takedowns, will earn him a split decision. He notes Morales is likely the underdog, which adds value.

"I'll go with Vince Morales cuz I think he's going to be the underdog. In a split decision, you want to pick the underdog. So yeah, Vince Morales via decision."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 28, 2026 (4 days before fight)
Vince Morales

The host likes Morales as an underdog, citing his veteran experience, aggression, and superior grappling. He expects Morales to cut off the cage, keep Thickness from sticking and moving, and eventually win by submission. The host notes Thickness's raw level and that Morales has faced tougher competition.

Submission win
"I like Morales here. I think we're going to see him very aggressive with his submission game as well. And I think that will lead to Morales winning this fight by submission."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Apr 30, 2026 (2 days before fight)
Vince Morales

Paul picks Morales as a small underdog, citing his submission threat and Thicknesse's tendency to shoot into chokes. He likes the Morales by submission prop.

submission prop
"I'm going to be taking the best available Morales by subprop and probably calling it a day."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked May 1, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Vince Morales

The MMA Guru picks Vince Morales as an underdog despite his three-fight losing streak. He believes Morales is better than his record, citing close fights against Elijah Smith and Raul Rosas Jr. He criticizes Colby Thicknesse's performance against Ilia Topuria and a tough fight against an African prospect, suggesting Thicknesse is overhyped.

"I'm going with Vince Morales as an underdog. Okay? I know people are high on Colby Thicknesse."
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Hesitant picked May 1, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Vince Morales

Zane picks Morales despite his headcase tendencies, because Thicknesse is a bad athlete with no discernible skill set. He notes that Morales has a significant technical edge everywhere and should be able to win, but acknowledges that Morales often loses fights he should win due to mental lapses. He thinks Thicknesse's constant errors might give Morales opportunities.

"I got to pick him to win. I shouldn't but like him to this is this is the level where being a quadruple a guy is still supposed to be a guy who generally beats these yeah this level of fight is the kind of matchup where having a significant technical edge basically everywhere which he does should be enough."
Decision R3 5:00
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Colby Thicknesse 0 62 of 111 55% 126 of 199 2 of 14 14% 1 0 7:45
Josias Musasa 0 43 of 89 48% 62 of 118 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:52
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Colby Thicknesse 0 43 of 75 57% 72 of 111 1 of 6 16% 1 0 2:43
Josias Musasa 0 12 of 27 44% 18 of 36 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:11
2 Colby Thicknesse 0 8 of 14 57% 16 of 27 0 of 3 0% 0 0 1:56
Josias Musasa 0 18 of 35 51% 26 of 45 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:37
3 Colby Thicknesse 0 11 of 22 50% 38 of 61 1 of 5 20% 0 0 3:06
Josias Musasa 0 13 of 27 48% 18 of 37 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:04
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Colby Thicknesse 62 of 111 55% 48 of 95 8 of 10 6 of 6 15 of 31 4 of 6 43 of 74
Josias Musasa 43 of 89 48% 26 of 61 7 of 10 10 of 18 27 of 62 16 of 25 0 of 2
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Colby Thicknesse 43 of 75 57% 38 of 70 2 of 2 3 of 3 6 of 12 0 of 1 37 of 62
Josias Musasa 12 of 27 44% 9 of 20 0 of 1 3 of 6 9 of 20 3 of 5 0 of 2
2 Colby Thicknesse 8 of 14 57% 4 of 9 4 of 5 0 of 0 4 of 9 4 of 5 0 of 0
Josias Musasa 18 of 35 51% 9 of 23 3 of 4 6 of 8 7 of 20 11 of 15 0 of 0
3 Colby Thicknesse 11 of 22 50% 6 of 16 2 of 3 3 of 3 5 of 10 0 of 0 6 of 12
Josias Musasa 13 of 27 48% 8 of 18 4 of 5 1 of 4 11 of 22 2 of 5 0 of 0
Expert Picks (8)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Sep 21, 2025 (7 days before fight)
Josias Musasa

Angelo picks Josias Musasa over Colby Thicknesse, believing Musasa's speed, power, and striking will be too much for Thicknesse, who he considers not very good. He notes that Thicknesse is primarily a grappler but lacks the takedowns to get Musasa down, while Musasa hits hard and moves forward. He references Musasa's loss to Carlos Vera but attributes it to Vera's overhands and debut nerves.

"I think Josas wins this fight. I don't think Kobe's very good. He's certainly the better grappler and if it ends up on the ground, Kobe should have an advantage, but he doesn't have good enough takedowns, I think, to get it there. Josiah hits too hard. He's too fast. He's too clean."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Sep 25, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Josias Musasa

Big Brady picks Josias Musasa to win by decision. He views Musasa as having a higher ceiling and better striking power, while Thicknesse may not be UFC caliber. He notes Musasa has solid takedown defense and should keep the fight standing. He considers this a buy-low spot after Musasa lost as a huge favorite.

"I like Mousasa. Not sure I'm going to bet him because he is so he's still very green, but I think Mousasa gets it done. I'll say Mousasa wins this fight and wins this fight by decision."
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Sep 23, 2025 (5 days before fight)
Colby Thicknesse

Cody picks Thicknesse, believing he can outwork Musasa with better grappling and cardio. He notes Musasa's power is overrated and his grappling is poor, and that Thicknesse can take a punch and drag him into deep waters. He also mentions Musasa has never fought outside Africa and looked poor in his UFC debut.

"I think that Kobe thickness wins this fight."
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Lean picked Sep 26, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Josias Musasa

Connor agrees, noting that Musasa has way more potential than Thicknesse, who is a mess of tricks without fundamentals. He thinks Thicknesse's awkwardness will not be enough to handle Musasa's athleticism and aggression. However, he acknowledges that Musasa is still very raw and could lose if he hasn't improved.

"Yeah, I think you're right. Musasa has way more potential. Thicknesse is very liable to put himself in awful positions."
LU
Lucrative James Expert picked Sep 19, 2025 (9 days before fight)
No clear pick

James has not done tape study on this fight and declines to make a pick. He briefly notes Musasa is a physical fighter and that Thicknesse may struggle to take him down, but does not commit to a prediction.

"I'm not going to break this one down too much cuz I haven't done a tape study."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2025 (4 days before fight)
Josias Musasa

The host believes Musasa's raw athleticism and power will allow him to land big shots on Thicknesse and put him away. He acknowledges Thicknesse has grappling but expects Musasa to utilize explosivity and power to catch Thicknesse and knock him out cold.

win by knockout
"I believe Mousasa's raw athleticism and power will allow him to land those big shots on thickness and eventually put him away. ... I expect Mousasa to utilize athleticism, his just explosivity, sheer power, and he'll eventually catch thickness and put him out cold."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Lean picked Sep 26, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Colby Thicknesse

The Guru picks Colby Thicknesse as a slight underdog, believing he is more fundamentally sound than Josias Musasa. He notes Thicknesse's competitive performance against Alejandra Turia and questions Musasa's level of competition, suggesting he was signed due to his African origin rather than skill. He sees Thicknesse's training with Volk as an advantage.

"I think KBY thickness is a slight underdog here. And I'm going to take KBY thickness as an underdog."
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Lean picked Sep 26, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Josias Musasa

Zane thinks Musasa's athletic potential, speed, power, and aggression will be too much for the awkward and fundamentally lacking Thicknesse. He notes that Thicknesse is very liable to put himself in bad positions trying to avoid Musasa's flurries. However, he acknowledges that Musasa is still raw and could lose if Thicknesse shows craft.

Odds comment: should be close to even; Thicknesse opened +250 now +130, Musasa opened -300 now -150
"I'll take Musasa here. He's fearless, aggressive, really fast, and hits hard. Thicknesse is very liable to put himself in awful positions."
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Aleksandre Topuria 0 38 of 127 29% 40 of 131 0 of 8 0% 0 0 0:00
Colby Thicknesse 0 41 of 79 51% 65 of 110 1 of 2 50% 0 0 5:02
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Aleksandre Topuria 0 13 of 46 28% 13 of 47 0 of 3 0% 0 0 0:00
Colby Thicknesse 0 18 of 32 56% 20 of 34 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:44
2 Aleksandre Topuria 0 21 of 70 30% 21 of 71 0 of 3 0% 0 0 0:00
Colby Thicknesse 0 22 of 43 51% 22 of 43 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:07
3 Aleksandre Topuria 0 4 of 11 36% 6 of 13 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:00
Colby Thicknesse 0 1 of 4 25% 23 of 33 0 of 1 0% 0 0 4:11
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Aleksandre Topuria 38 of 127 29% 18 of 91 12 of 27 8 of 9 35 of 122 3 of 5 0 of 0
Colby Thicknesse 41 of 79 51% 18 of 53 19 of 22 4 of 4 35 of 70 5 of 7 1 of 2
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Aleksandre Topuria 13 of 46 28% 6 of 32 5 of 11 2 of 3 11 of 44 2 of 2 0 of 0
Colby Thicknesse 18 of 32 56% 7 of 20 11 of 12 0 of 0 15 of 28 2 of 2 1 of 2
2 Aleksandre Topuria 21 of 70 30% 8 of 49 7 of 15 6 of 6 20 of 67 1 of 3 0 of 0
Colby Thicknesse 22 of 43 51% 11 of 30 7 of 9 4 of 4 19 of 39 3 of 4 0 of 0
3 Aleksandre Topuria 4 of 11 36% 4 of 10 0 of 1 0 of 0 4 of 11 0 of 0 0 of 0
Colby Thicknesse 1 of 4 25% 0 of 3 1 of 1 0 of 0 1 of 3 0 of 1 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Colby Thicknesse vs. Aleksandre Topuria
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Topuria (-410), Thicknesse (+320)

Round 1
A surprising rivalry has developed from this preliminary pairing completely consisting of men making their promotional debuts. Representing Australia, Thicknesse (7-0, 0-0 UFC) will receive cornering from ex-champ Alexander Volkanovski. He will be facing off against Topuria (5-1, 0-0 UFC), younger brother of Ilia Topuria who is also in his corner. This proxy battle at 135 pounds takes place under the watchful eye of referee Jim Perdios, and it starts with the fighters tapping their fists together. Topuria is the initial aggressor, pawing away a front kick to crowd Thicknesse towards the cage. Thicknesse swings hard and shoots for a faked takedown attempt, and he surprises Topuria with a jump knee. Topuria keeps his guard up to block a high kick, and he stalks Thicknesse down looking to unload with something. Thicknesse jabs out with a front kick, and Topuria marches ever forward to release a right hand. Thicknesse looks for another takedown entry, and Topuria ignores it and keeps stalking forward. Thicknesse tries to back him off with a head kick and some jabs, and a body kick finds its home under the guard. Topuria follows a jab with a right hand, and he takes a pair of body kicks flush for his efforts. Thicknesse chips away from his preferred range with kicks, hopping away from jabs and nearly catching Topuria with a head kick. Topuria tries to tie him up, but Thicknesse is away with his guard up to not get cracked. Topuria rushes him, looking for a clinch and absorbing a pair of knees before Thicknesse shoves him away. Topuria gives chase, staying smart enough to not walk into a big strike. Thicknesse jumps forward with a knee and follows with a head kick, but “El Conquistador” is not amused. Topuria slings a single right hand that smashes into the side of the jaw, sending Thicknesse squirrely but not putting him on the canvas. Thicknesse smartly fights out of the danger rather than getting desperate, and Topuria is not selling out for anything. A step-in knee gets through for Thicknesse, who darts in and out before a counter reaches him. Topuria walks him down and digs a few body shots before wrenching Thicknesse down to a knee. Topuria suddenly hits a mighty belly-to-back suplex, dropping Thicknesse on his head before the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Topuria
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Topuria
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Topuria

Round 2
The fighters clap hands before engaging, and Topuria is once more the one putting the pressure on early. Thicknesse scoots to the side, only to absorb a thumping leg kick and a left hook. Thicknesse hops to the side and does work on either side of Topuria’s lead wheel. Thicknesse pecks with jabs and low kicks, and one hits the cup to force a momentary stoppage. Topuria appears no worse for wear and gets back to it, firing off a flashy wheel kick that skims the side of the head. Topuria’s head movement is slick as he dodges a flurry of punches, where only Thicknesse’s body kick getting off. Thicknesse whips a kick off the raised guard, and when he plants his leg down, Topuria slams his shin into it. Thicknesse tries to hand-fight his way forward, only to get beaned with a right hand over the top. Thicknesse is warned for outstretched fingers a few times, and he absorbs a pair of low kicks without responding. Thicknesse shoots for a double, pushing Topuria against the cage but only landing a knee before the break. Topuria smiles at him, shrugging off two kicks so he can let fly a jab. Thicknesse turns his leg out in time to check a kick, and he leans back to narrowly evade a haymaker. Thicknesse tries his own home run punch, but it is the sharper, straighter attack that tends to connect. Topuria walks into a right hook after a few jabs, and he parries a front kick and smashes a right hand on the solar plexus. Thicknesse no-sells the strike and resets to jump in with a knee and a right hand. Thicknesse ducks a huge right hand to go for a takedown, with the defense from the Georgian holding up well. Thicknesse climbs back upright, and Topuria walks him down with a big right hand that pops into the guard. They peck at one another with jabs until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Thicknesse
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Topuria
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Topuria

Round 3
The last round kicks off with Thicknesse loading up with a body kick. When he tries for a takedown, Topuria easily slides around to the side and then gets hold of him from behind. Thicknesse scoots his way to the fence despite Topuria’s hands clasped around his waist, thwarting Topuria’s subsequent efforts to wrestle or throw him. Thicknesse breaks out of the tie-up and spears Topuria with jabs and follow-up right hands. Topuria shakes it off and stuffs a double-leg entry, and he again gets hold of Thicknesse from the back during a scramble. Thicknesse defends with a kimura to sweep, and Topuria steps over it to establish top position in side control. Thicknesse uses a rubber guard to wrap his left leg up for a setup, but Topuria is wise to it and flattens the American out. Thicknesse gets Topuria back to his guard, and he hooks his arm and leg around Topuria’s neck with an unorthodox submission grip that could be considered a modified arm-triangle choke from his back. Topuria shakes it out and steps into half guard, and he stays heavy with a potential arm-triangle of his own as fans lambaste him for the grappling. Thicknesse twists and works to his knees, wall-walking before suddenly rolling over to escape. Topuria shuts it down by not stopping the somersault, but by being exactly where he should be to establish top position. Thicknesse throws his legs up wildly for one last desperate submission, but Topuria grinds him out with a bit of ground-and-pound until the match comes to an end.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Topuria (29-28 Topuria)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Topuria (30-27 Topuria)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Topuria (30-27 Topuria)

The Official Result
Aleksandre Topuria def. Colby Thicknesse via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Expert Picks (2)
BI
Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Feb 3, 2025 (6 days before fight)
Aleksandre Topuria

Big Brady is skeptical of Aleksandre Topuria's signing, citing his lack of activity and poor competition. He notes that Topuria has only fought three times in ten years and gassed out in his only fight that went past the first round. However, he thinks Topuria has a big advantage early with power and grappling, and can get a first-round finish. He worries if the fight reaches the second round, as Topuria's cardio is a major question mark. Brady picks Topuria by first-round knockout.

"I'm going to take Alexandre toori to win this fight by first round knockout"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 6, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Aleksandre Topuria

Topuria, brother of the featherweight champion, is expected to make a dominant statement. He will walk Thicknesse down, grind him against the cage, and eventually land a big shot for a knockout. The pick is for Topuria to win by knockout.

knockout
"I think we'll see tooro walk thickness down growl him against the cage and eventually find a big shot to put his lights clean out"