UFC 145: Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson: Hype or Substance?

This Saturday, the UFC Light Heavyweight Title is on the line, as Jon Jones will attempt to make his third title defense against the former champion, Rashad Evans.

That fight is getting the most attention of any fight on the entire card. However, on the preliminary card on FX, Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson will make his second appearance in the Octagon.

For those that are unaware of who Thompson is, he is a former professional kickboxer with a record of 63-0 with 30 knockouts. In his MMA career, he is 6-0 with three knockouts, two decision and one submission.

There has been an enormous amount of praise for Thompson, and recently on UFC Ultimate Insider, Georges St-Pierre said, "he has the tools to become a champion, it's only a matter of time for him."

In his first UFC fight, he scored a dazzling, highlight reel knockout over Dan Stittgen, and even more hype was put on the Stephen Thompson freight train.

However, is he all just hype, or is there really something to him?

At 28-years-of-age, with almost 70 professional fights and the pedigree that he brings into the cage, Stephen Thompson is more than just hype. He could be the future of the welterweight division.

He has all the kickboxing wins and the outstanding striking. It is karate based striking, much like what Lyoto Machida uses. He has a black belt in both kickboxing and Kenpo Karate.

In addition to his striking, he has a black belt in Jujutsu, and a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

He has all the tools to be champion. Georges St-Pierre knows it, and the UFC knows it. Besides, how many first timers in the Octagon get their own promo video?

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow him on twitter @TimMcTiernan.