Tag Archives: Donald Cerrone

UFC Fight Night 118: Will Cowboy End His Losing Streak?

Sports News & Picks, , , , , ,

Donald Cerrone looks to snap out of the first losing streak of his MMA career when he faces Darren Till in the main event of UFC Fight Night 188 in Gdansk, Poland on October 21st, 2017.

Back To Back Losses

Cerrone is known as one of the UFC’s busiest fighters with at least four fights per year since 2013. But this year, he’s fought just twice and surprisingly has lost both. Cowboy was knocked out by Jorge Masvidal last January and then suffered a unanimous decision loss to Robbie Lawler in a high profile fight at UFC 214 last July. Cerrone hopes to get back on the winning side against a relative newcomer he said he never heard of before.

Darren Till has been in the UFC since 2015 but not many people know him. That’s because three of his four UFC bouts have been in the prelims of non-PPV events. But he’s unbeaten at 15-0-1 including a UFC record of 3-0-1. Till is coming off a September 2nd victory against Bojan Velickovic and will be making a quick turnaround for this one.

Pretty Close

Surprisingly, the odds for this one are pretty close. Cerrone is the slight favorite at -155 while Till the underdog at +125 at Bovada. If you take a look at his fight resume, chances are you won’t recognize any names there. But just because Till hasn’t fought quality opposition in the UFC doesn’t mean he is easy picking for Cowboy.

Till has has one-punch knockout power and that’s what makes him very dangerous. His athleticism and awkward style could turn out to be a nightmare for Cerrone, who is getting up there in the age department. Remember that Cowboy is coming off the first back to back losses of his MMA career so he may be one the way down. But then again, maybe not.

Explosiveness vs. Experience

Although he clearly lost to Masvidal, Cerrone fought Lawler tooth and nail. It was a back and forth fight and unfortunately it was just a three rounder. Lawler won that fight by a hairline and had it gone longer, who knows if Cerrone would’ve picked up the victory. Cowboy’s Muay Thai background makes this an exciting striking affair.

Cerrone has the advantage if this fight goes to the ground because he has more fight experience. But given Till’s explosiveness, he can end this fight at any moment. That’s what makes him dangerous, especially since three of Cowboy’s last five losses have been by knockout to excellent strikers in Anthony Pettis, Rafael Dos Anjos and Masvidal.

This one’s a pick ‘em fight but you’ve got to go with the veteran here. He’s been here and done that. Till has a great career ahead of him but Cerrone is a big step up in opposition for him. We’re picking Donald Cerrone to win this one by submission or decision.

UFC 214: Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone Could Steal The Show

Sports News & Picks, , , , , , ,

The fight that MMA fans have been waiting for is finally happening.

Former UFC welterweight champion ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler makes his long awaited octagon return against the fan-favorite Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone on July 29th, 2017 at UFC 214 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Look, this fight isn’t the main event. It’s not even the co-main event. That’s because there are three title fights at UFC 214. This one’s not one of them. But it could steal the show, no doubt about it.

Ruthless Returns

The bout marks Lawler’s first fight since losing the UFC welterweight title to Tyron Woodley at UFC 201 last July 30th, 2016. Prior to the loss, Lawler won five fights in a row, including three title fights. During his ruthless reign, Lawler battled and battered some of the division’s best fighters on his way to becoming the UFC’s welterweight king.

Lawler is known as one of the toughest fighters on the planet. He loves to go to war and he doesn’t mind eating some to deliver his powerful blows. Lawler has excellent hand speed and one punch knockout power. Six of his last ten victories have been by knockout.

Cowboy Tries Again

Like Robbie Lawler, Donald Cerrone is coming off a loss. The former lightweight title contender suffered his first defeat as a welterweight this past January. Cerrone was already at #5 in the rankings when he lost to #12 Jorge Masvidal. It also pushes Cerrone’s title ambitions backwards. Cerrone has produced many exciting wins but has come up short in big fights. He’s looking to change that against Robbie Lawler.

Cowboy is an excellent striker because of his Muay Thai background. He also has excellent submission skills with half of his 32 wins by submission. In short, Cerrone is a very versatile offensive fighter whether be it on his feet or on the ground. He’s one hell of a fighter who simply loves to take challenging fights like this one.

The Odds

Lawler is the slight favorite here at -150 and Cerrone the underdog at +130. This is as close as it gets and this is why many fans are excited to see these two exciting fighters finally square off inside the UFC octagon.

At first look, you’d think that Lawler would be the much bigger man here as Cerrone originally fought at lightweight. But if you look at the tale of the tape, Ruthless only has a once inch reach advantage and Cowboy Cerrone is two inches taller. Physically, Lawler’s main edge over Cerrone is his punching power. And that may be all that matters here.

Difference in Punching Power

We’ve seen Cerrone rack up four straight KO wins at welterweight but we also saw how he was knocked out by a come-forward fighter in Jorge Masvidal. During that fight, Cerrone started out well but after Masvidal found a home for his jab, Gamebred started pushing Cerrone backwards. Uncomfortable backing up, Cerrone would get caught by a combination at the end of the round. He never recovered. If Cerrone had problems backing up against an good striker like Masvidal, then he could be in trouble against Robbie Lawler.

On the average, Cerrone lands more significant strikes per minute at 4.18 against Lawler’s 3.49. But most of Cerrone’s numbers were against lightweights while Lawler has been punching welterweights all his life. With his punching power, all Robbie Lawler needs is just one punch. Look make no mistake here. Lawler too was knocked out by Tyron Woodley in his last bout but Cowboy’s no Woodley and so is his punching power.

The Prediction

We’re thinking that Cerrone would prefer this fight to go on the ground, where he has the more definite advantage. Cowboy averages 1.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes while Ruthless’ submission game is almost non-existent. Problem here is Cerrone can put Lawler on the ground given Lawler’s 67% takedown defense.

Having said all those, i think the fight stays on the feet most of the time. Lawler has the advantage here with a little more reach and a lot more punching power. One fight could end it for Ruthless while Cerrone may need his ‘Super Saiyan combos’ to put Robbie down. Either way, it’s going to be an exciting fight. But we’re going to pick Robbie Lawler here because of better punching power. Robbie Lawler by stoppage!

Donald Cerrone vs. Jorge Masvidal Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , , , ,

Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone returns to the UFC Octagon against Jorge Masvidal at UFC on Fox 23 on January 28th, 2016.

I Know A Guy

Known as the most active fighter in the UFC, Cerrone had just beaten Matt Brown at UFC 206 last December 10th, 2016. But after disposing of the ‘Immortal’, Cerrone immediately requested to be booked for UFC on Fox 23, which will be held in his hometown of Denver, Colorado.

Known for his trademark statement ‘I know A Guy’ when volunteering to fight on short notice, Cerrone wanted to fight so badly on the event that he was willing to fight anybody the UFC would put in front of him. Cerrone is 4-0 since moving up to welterweight and he’s had impressive success. He submitted Charles Oliveira, then knocked out PAtrick Cote, Rick Story and Brown in succession. He’s looking to improve his #5 ranking in his new weight class.

Revenge Factor

Jorge Masvidal has been campaigning for a fight with Cerrone for quite some time now. After beating Jake Ellenberger at the TUF 24 Finale last month, he called out Cowboy once again.

Masvidal was slated to face Kelvin Gastelum last November at the iconic UFC 205, but Gastelum was pulled out from their bout and was booked to face Cerrone at the same event after Robbie Lawler begged off of his bout with Cowboy. Masvidal didn’t like that move and sees this fight as a way of getting his revenge on Cerrone. Masvidal owns notable victories over K.J. Noons, Tim Means, Ross Pearson and Ellenberger. However, he’s lost the biggest fights of his career and has been hit or miss lately.

Who Wins

Cerrone is a -160 favorite over Masvidal who is now at +140. Although Masvidal is coming off a big win over Ellenberger, he is 3-3 only in his last bouts.

According to Fightmetric, Masvidal lands more strikes per minute at 4.2 versus 4.16. He also has the better striking defense at 64% against 54% for Cowboy. Masvidal’s 1.98 takedowns per 15 minutes is also better than Cerrone’s 1.38. However, Cerrone is the better all-around fighter. Masvidal may give Cerrone a fight standing up but when this goes to the ground, Cowboy has all the advantage with his supreme submission skills.

Masvidal has a history of struggling against better opposition and against Cerrone, he will also be fighting in hostile territory. Masvidal is a good boxer and excellent striker but Cerrone has been in the zone lately. We’re picking Donald Cerrone to beat Jorge Masvidal in this contest.

UFC 206: Donald Cerrone vs. Matt Brown Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , , ,

Barring any fight week shocker, Donald Cerrone’s finally going to fight.

First it was his original UFC 205 opponent Robbie Lawler who pulled out of their high profile bout. Then replacement opponent Kelvin Gastelum missed weight badly and was unceremoniously removed from UFC 205. The result? Cerrone was left without an opponent and a fight at the UFC’s historic Madison Square Garden debut.  The UFC then rescheduled Cerrone with a fight at the next event- UFC 206 in Canada. And Cowboy’s consolation prize? The Immortal Matt Brown.

Legit Welterweight

2016 has been a new beginning for Donald Cerrone. After failing to win the UFC Lightweight title from Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 17th last December, Cerrone made the move to welterweight. While some quarters questioned his decision to go up to the 170 pound division, Cowboy has proved himself as a legitimate welterweight. Three straight stoppage wins over Alex Oliveira, Patrick Cote and Rick Story have put Cowboy to #5 in the welterweight rankings.

After seven straight wins in the UFC, Matt Brown has struggled fighting against the promotion’s top rated welterweights. Losses to Johny Hendricks, Robbie Lawler, Demian Maia and Jake Ellenberger have given the Immortal a 1-4 record in his last five bouts and has dropped him to #14 in the rankings. With his UFC career seemingly on the line, Matt Brown will have to bring out his A game to halt the streaking Cowboy.

No Longer Immortal

While Donald Cerrone is on his way up the welterweight ladder, Matt Brown has been there but no longer there. As we said earlier, he’s lost 4 of 5 and his UFC career may be dependent on what happens in this fight. In his most recent fight, Brown was knocked out by Jake Ellenberger in the first round. But more than another defeat, Brown fought so lackluster that we wonder what’s left in his tank. One thing is certain though, Brown is no longer immortal. The clock may be ticking on him and this could be the ‘passing of the torch’ kind of fight.

Cerrone is the bookmakers’ favorite to beat Brown. Cowboy is currently a -270 favorite over Brown who is at +205 . Despite being on a losing skid, Matt Brown is fairly a better striker than Cowboy, at least that’s what the stats say. While Cowboy lands more significant strikes per minute at 4.1 vs 3.62, Brown is the more accurate striker at 53% striking accuracy against Cerrone’s 48%. Defensively, Brown absorbs less strikes per minute at 2.46 versus 3.81 for Cowboy.

Outside the numbers though, Cerrone’s recent stoppage wins over Patrick Cote and Rick Story make us wonder if Brown’s statistical advantages will hold at UFC 206. Cerrone has looked invincible lately and he seems to be in a better place physically, mentally and stylistically than Matt Brown. In what looks to be an offensive showdown, Matt Brown cannot outgun Donald Cerrone as Cowboy simply has too many weapons to beat him. Look for Donald Cerrone to win by unanimous decision or a third round submission.

UFC 205: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Donald Cerrone Odds and Preview

Sports News & Picks, , , , , ,

Kelvin Gastelum will be stepping in to face Donald Cerrone at UFC 205 after Cerrone’s original bout with Robbie Lawler fell off:

 

A Sudden Twist

After beating Johny Hendicks at UFC 200, Kelvin Gastelum wanted to fight either Robbie Lawler or Donald Cerrone. Unfortunately, he was booked to a fight against Jorge Masvidal for UFC Mexico. Lawler and Cerrone would later be booked to a UFC 205 date. But in a sudden twist of fate, Robbie Lawler pulled out of the bout, leaving Cerrone without an opponent for the UFC’s New York Debut. With the UFC intent on keeping Cerrone at the event, they scrambled to find an opponent. And Kelvin Gastelum was the perfect choice.

Fresh off beating former champion Hendricks, Gastelum is the former The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner. He has a record of 12-2 with 4 knockouts and 4 submissions. Although he is only 2-2 in his last 4 bouts, his victory over Hendricks pushed him up to #5 in the current UFC welterweight rankings.

After winning his first 10 bouts, Gastelum suffered a split decision loss against current welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 183. Two fights later, Gastelum again lost by split decision to Neil Magny before rebounding with a resounding win over Hendricks last July. Dubbed as Mini Cain for his resemblance to former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, Gastelum owns notable victories over Uriah Hall, RIck Story, Jake Ellenberger, Nate Marquardt and Hendricks.

Riding High

Gastelum will be facing a red hot Donald Cerrone at UFC 205. Since moving up to welterweight, Cowboy has been riding high up in his saddle. Cerrone’s won three in a row all by stoppage. In his last two victories, Cowboy became the first fighter to stop both Patrick Cote and Rick Story on strikes. Cerrone’s success jumped him to #7 in the UFC welterweight rankings and he was looking to challenge Lawler to get a shortcut to the top.

Although there hasn’t been any official statement on Lawler’s withdrawal, rumors are saying Robbie wanted to take more time off from his 1st round KO loss to Woodley. If that is the case then it’s a little ironic because it was Lawler himself who was literally begging UFC President Dana White a quick turnaround fight after UFC 203.

Odds on Favorite

Cerrone opened as a -175 favorite against Gastelum’s +135. That may sound surprising given Cerrone has only fought thrice as a welterweight and the 5th ranked Gastelum has been fighting at that weight class much longer. However, Cerrone has looked very impressive as of late and has shown little or no weakness during his welterweight run.

Of the four matches officially booked for UFC 205, The Cerrone-Gastelum bout has the closest odds. Inside the Octagon, it is also likely to be a back and forth bout as well.

Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone Could Headline UFC 205

Sports News & Picks, ,

It all started out with the all too familiar Donald Cerrone tweet. Now the fight everybody’s wanting to see is said to be close to fruition.

I know A Guy

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is the UFC’s busiest fighter, having fought at least four times each year since 2013. As such, Cerrone is no stranger to calling out people in the spur of the moment. Like when the news of Georges St. Pierre’s rumored comeback was first heard, Cerrone quickly tweeted “I know a guy”, in obvious reference. Then when Tony Fergusson got hurt for his UFC on Fox bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov last April, Cerrone once again offered his services to face Khabib by saying again “I know a guy.”

Most recently, when Conor McGregor was pulled out from UFC 200, Cowboy once again threw his hat in the arena, offering to face Nate Diaz. Cerrone has been known to save events from being cancelled but during those three instances, he didn’t get the call. Undeterred, Cerrone once again came up with another offer:

This time though, Cerrone may get his wish. As reported by ESPN, the UFC is close to booking a fight between Cerrone and former UFC Welterweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler, who is dying to return to the octagon after being dethroned by Tyron Woodley at UFC 201 last July:

Return of The Ruthless Reign

Robbie Lawler was on a ruthless reign as UFC Welterweight champion when he got knocked out in the first round by Tyron Woodley at UFC 201. With the UFC targeting Woodley versus #1 contender Stephen Thompson, Lawler has decided to go for a quick turnaround fight to remain relevant in the title picture. But with nobody seemingly eager to face one of the most brutal and hardest hitting punchers in the sport, Lawler is still left without a next bout. When Cowboy heard of that however, he immediately sent feelers about wanting to take on Ruthless.

At 34, Lawler doesn’t have the luxury of time to wait if he is to return to the ruthless reign. He knows that there are plenty of worthy challengers in the mix, waiting for their chance to fight for that 170-pound title. With that in mind, Lawler is asking for a slot in the UFC’s debut in New York this November.

Cerrone meanwhile, just broke into the Top 10 of the UFC welterweight division with a dominant win over Rick Story at UFC 202. That victory was his third straight since moving up to welterweight. Cerrone has won all three fights by stoppage and a win over a highly ranked welterweight like Lawler could easily merit a title shot.

Expecting A Barnburner

A Lawler vs. Cerrone matchup should be a blockbuster MMA fight, considering both fighters possess some of the UFC’s best offensive games. Lawler is known as an explosive brawler while Cerrone owns some of the best striking combinations in the game. With both men eager to take on challenger, fans are expecting a barn burner if this one is officially booked.

There are no fights yet booked for UFC 205 which takes place at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New  York on November 12th. The event will mark the first time the UFC holds an event in the state of New York since UFC 7 in Buffalo. Virtually every fighter in the UFC roster has begged for a slot at the historic event. However, only a few will be privileged to fight there. Robbie Lawler and Donald Cerrone are likely going to be two of them.