Cowboy vs Till will be a barn burner!
In combat sports we tend to celebrate veterans and with good reason. They’ve built up a legacy of greatness through a trial by fire. They’ve been in the fire fights, experienced the raw emotions of high level competition and proven themselves to be quality pugilists time and again. So when the new prospect on the block finds their way to the cage or ring opposite a veteran opponent, the inherent cry from the casual fans is utter disbelief that the veteran will be toppled by the young blood. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Darren Till have found themselves in this exact scenario as they are set to do battle at UFC Fight Night 118. Can the veteran stave off the young prospect? Let’s dig a bit deeper into how these two match up.
One of the most active fighters in UFC history, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has compiled quite a list of names on his hit list. Cowboy has proven himself to be a tough out for anyone in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions in the UFC. His last time out saw him drop a close decision to former champion Robbie Lawler. But despite the loss, Cowboy looked as good as ever as he dominated the middle frame of the match with considerable volume.
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A nice side kick has also been added to Cowboy’s game and helps him keep the distance when fighters choose to pressure forward.
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In order for Donald Cerrone to have success in this match up he’ll have to stay busy from the opening bell. He can’t allow Darren Till to get into a rhythm and fight at his usual pace. Cowboy can push one hell of a pace and has the gas tank to go five rounds. As such, he needs to put pressure on Till with volume, mostly with leg kicks, front kicks, and the straight cross to the body. Wearing down on Till will be essential to breaking the young confident prospect. The leg kicks especially should be a primary weapon for Cowboy. The jab-cross into a left leg kick will work well. The cross to the body followed by a right high kick is also going to be a major weapon in this fight.
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One of the more brash and confident fighters on the roster, Darren Till isn’t unlike Mike Perry in that he’s calling his shot and is ready to take it. His confidence isn’t unwarranted. In all of his performances he’s shown a well balanced game with some great Muay Thai, old school in it’s approach, and some great use of range. His takedown defense is also stellar due to his ability to keep opponents on the end of his reach with long range left straights and round kicks. Till’s fakes, feints, and power are ultimately what keeps opponents wary of engaging.
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But Till appears to have more tricks up his sleeve and appears poised to make this a true showcase of his skills. What Darren Till should focus on in this fight is using his weight advantage as well as his length. Till likes to slide in with his left straight and well as fire the strike as counter weapon. When he pressures forward with his left straight entering into the clinch and weighing on Cerrone will give Till both a physical and psychological advantage in the fight. Cowboy Cerrone is unlikely to break under the pressure, but Till being the larger man will perhaps put the veteran on the back foot. He could even utilize trips from the clinch for top position.
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The more Till can pressure Cerrone force him to move backwards the more effective his power shots will be as the young Liverpool native is as dangerous moving backwards as he is pushing forwards.
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This is a pretty interesting match up, specifically because Darren Till is more of a single shot precision striker who can lead the dance or play counter striker while Cowboy does his best work pressuring his opponents and throwing every strike in the book their way. It’s all about who can bring the other into their game.
Who do you think comes out on top?
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Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.