Tyron Woodley versus Darren Till has all the ingredients for a fun and dynamic fight. Can it live up to the hype?

The main event of UFC 228 is one of those kinds of match ups that could play out in a couple of different ways. Some believe that it can be a potential snoozefest, a bout more in common with a staring contest than a fist fight. On the other hand, there are those who believe this match could be a potential nonstop back and forth battle of wills between the welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and Liverpool native Darren Till. The truth may end up laying somewhere in the middle as both men have styles that could make for an exciting match up or a pretty mundane experience.

All that being said, there just seems to be something different in this match up, an electricity fueled by the fact that both men have such indomitable wills that they can’t fathom losing to each other, much less anyone else on the planet. But there will be a winner, there will be a loser (unless Tyron Woodley finds himself taking a second draw in his title reign), and we will have a lot of questions answered after UFC 228.

Tyron Woodley

As champion, Tyron Woodley has garnered less than high praise from the MMA fandom. That by no means is any fault of his own however as he’s defended his belt against true monsters like Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia. His last two bouts in particular were less than explosively entertaining. But it takes two to tango and Woodley fought opponents who were both extremely difficult to handle and was able to shut down their game, all with the threat of the takedown and a powerful right hand. He’ll need those tools entering into this match up with the young and hungry Till this Saturday.

Woodley should look to use his wrestling out of the gate. Now that doesn’t mean he should be searching for double leg takedowns every minute, but it does mean that he has to threaten Till with the possibility of being grounded. That means faking the shot and coming over the top with his overhand right.

While he may be committed to getting into a striking match to show the challenger who’s boss, being too stubborn and neglecting his wrestling is something that is a recipe for disaster. It gives Till time to get into the fight and that should be the last thing the champion wants. Instead Woodley should be looking for any wrestling opportunities he can find during the fight, whether off of a caught kick or otherwise.

Darren Till

Darren Till on the other hand is going to want to do what he does best: pressure his opponent until he forces a reaction out of him. Till may enjoy countering, but for the most part he creates those opportunities by forcing his foes back, pressuring them into the cage and forcing them to come forward with something, sealing their fate.

If he hopes to take the welterweight championship from Tyron Woodley, Till will have to use those pressure tactics along with his length to keep the champ at bay. Woodley likes to fight with his back against the fence, the same place where Till can do his best work. Till will have to be smart his tools. Inside low kicks, hard head kicks, and a good jab is what he’ll need to keep Woodley at bay. When the champion chooses to blitz forward, Till will have to take step back and time his counter left hand.

This match very well could be a staring contest, Tyron Woodley with his back to the fence with Darren Till standing right in front of him waiting for the champion to make a mistake when pushing forward. Let’s pray that’s not the case and we get to see all facets of the MMA game from two of these extremely talented martial artists.

Who do you think wins at UFC 228?

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