Jack Slack -
https://sports.vice.com/en_us/artic...fcs-next-british-star?utm_source=viceredditca
Darren Till brings several elements to the table which seem as though they could spell trouble for Donald Cerrone. The long left straight down the center of Cerrone's often porous defense could prove a treat, and the counter left straight as Cerrone steps up to kick might be just as useful. Limiting the pace of the fight can encourage overcommitments from a higher output fighter like Cerrone. Secondly Till, once again a southpaw, is a constant threat with the left kick to the body. He hasn't knocked anyone out off it in the UFC but it is always there, and against Cerrone in particular that is an issue. Even kicking through the arm, opponents have paralyzed Cerrone by getting to his infamous "glass tummy" with some force. Till has also timed some lovely step in knees against his opponents both on the counter and when pressuring them along the fence. Any time he can get to Cerrone's body, it would probably be wise to.
Checking and evading low kicks in MMA is largely an afterthought and the common response of retreating from strikes means that Cerrone will often just pump his hands to run into his kicks. Till is in the game of retracting the lead leg and letting his opponent fall just short, or taking the low kick and catching it. Given how well Masvidal was able to counter off Cerrone's kicks once he had absorbed the momentum, Till might look to crowd Cerrone and draw out a predictable kick.
Watching Donald Cerrone fight a young gun who is so proud of his Muay Thai adds another layer of intrigue because at welterweight Cerrone has shown himself to be far more willing to sneak in a takedown and work from top position early on—much to the surprise of many of his opponents.
Cerrone's ground game and wrestling are often under-rated but to improve his chances of getting the takedown on Till, who keeps a good distance at all times, Cerrone would do well to move him towards the cage. Till's straight retreats and withdrawals from kicks often see him run onto the fence at points in his bouts, but so far few of his opponents have taken advantage of this.
Whenever a young fighter is taking a big step up in level of opposition, gas tank is a factor. Forced into a hard fight with Nicolas Dalby, Till went from the abuser to the abused in the last round as he stood still with his hands low as Dalby glanced him with high kicks. This fight is a five rounder and if Cerrone can make him work even in a grueling clinch battle for three of those rounds, Till's gas tank had better be much more full than it was against Dalby. Not only is a long fight unfamiliar territory, and Cerrone a stiffer test than anyone Till has fought previously, Till put himself through a severe weight cut to make welterweight and missed weight by five pounds in his May 2017 fight against Jessin Ayari. So often when we talk about youth vs. experience, experience tends to have the upper hand over the longer haul. With that being said, Cerrone hasn't been beyond the third round since 2009. He's trained for a whole heap of five rounders but he usually gets to the showers early.