UFC viewers information: Gaethje-Cowboy within the cage, McGregor ready within the wings
There are two methods of Saturday’s UFC Battle Night time essential occasion between Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Justin “The Spotlight” Gaethje in Vancouver, British Columbia.
On one hand, the result might be seen as borderline irrelevant. This 155-pound matchup nearly mirrors the lately introduced “BMF championship” battle between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. It is a battle for the followers. It transcends the standard prefight discussions of rankings and “climbing the ladder.”
No person is tuning in to Cowboy vs. Gaethje to see who strikes nearer to a title shot. Followers are tuning in as a result of this conflict of kinds and personalities ensures pleasure. And in that sense, neither of those males can actually lose. Proper?
Saturday’s UFC Battle Night time essential occasion should not be quick on motion. Justin Gaethje will tackle Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a stoppage very doubtless. Gaethje hasn’t seen a battle determined by the judges in 5 years, and 12 of Cerrone’s previous 15 fights did not go the gap.
UFC Battle Night time: Cowboy vs. Gaethje
• Saturday, Vancouver, British Columbia
• Prelims: ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET
• Predominant card: ESPN+, eight p.m. ET
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Properly, that brings us to the opposite facet of the coin. The truth is, the results of this battle positively issues.
After competing at welterweight for years, Cerrone dropped to light-weight firstly of 2019 and received off to a sizzling begin, with wins in opposition to Anthony Hernandez and Al Iaquinta. Just some months in the past, he was effectively positioned for a potential Conor McGregor cash battle and within the operating for a title shot, however he suffered a powerful loss to Tony Ferguson in June. If he loses right here, he’ll nonetheless (and all the time) be a fan favourite, however will drop out of these McGregor/title-shot conversations.
Gaethje is in an identical place. A win may result in McGregor or one other top-five matchup. Gaethje has additionally talked about, a number of occasions, his need to barter a brand new contract with the UFC. A loss would not ship him tumbling too far, however a win may open the doorways he is making an attempt to stroll by means of.
Come Saturday, the anticipation for this battle will undoubtedly attain a fever pitch. And within the second, it’d really feel prefer it would not matter who wins. It is simply two of probably the most entertaining males within the sport, doing what they do finest. However make no mistake: Underlying this fan-friendly battle are lasting impacts on the winner and the loser.
ESPN Stats & Data
By the numbers
Zero: Gaethje fights within the UFC that haven’t ended by knockout. He’s Three-2 since becoming a member of the promotion in 2017, with the wins and losses all coming by KO. If Saturday’s bout ends that means, Gaethje will be part of Thiago Silva, Ricco Rodriguez and Derrick Lewis as the one fighters to have every of their first six UFC bouts finish through KO.
CategoryStatRankLanded8.5BestAbsorbed10.2WorstSource: ESPN Stats & Data
33: UFC fights for Cerrone (as of Saturday), tying Jim Miller’s report.
1,494: Important strikes absorbed within the UFC by Cerrone, probably the most in promotion historical past, in line with UFC Stats. There will be no reprieve on Saturday. Gaethje lands extra vital strikes per minute (eight.50) than any fighter in UFC historical past (minimal 5 fights).
98: Days it would have been on Saturday since Cerrone’s final battle (TKO loss to Tony Ferguson, June eight). This might be Cerrone’s 19th UFC battle that happens inside 100 days of his earlier battle, and he might be combating for the fourth time in 2019, making it the sixth time in his UFC profession that he has fought not less than 4 occasions in a calendar 12 months.
2: Fighters who’ve appeared in essential occasions in 5 of their first six UFC appearances: Anderson Silva and, as of Saturday, Gaethje.
Supply: ESPN Stats & Data
A glance again: UFC in Vancouver
PUT ON ICE — The UFC’s first go to to Vancouver, in 2010, produced a merciless finish to the Corridor of Fame profession of Chuck Liddell, who was knocked chilly by Wealthy Franklin. (Liddell did return final November for a tragic grudge match in opposition to Tito Ortiz.) Jeff Vinnick/Zuffa, LLC/Getty Photos
5 vs. 5
Donald Cerrone’s most up-to-date outcomes
Loss: Tony Ferguson (TKO2, June eight, 2019)
Win: Al Iaquinta (UD, Might four, 2019)
Win: Alexander Hernandez (TKO2, Jan. 19, 2019)
Win: Mike Perry (SUB1, Nov. 10, 2018)
Loss: Leon Edwards (UD, June 23, 2018)
Justin Gaethje’s most up-to-date outcomes
Win: Edson Barboza (KO1, March 30, 2019)
Win: James Vick (KO1, Aug. 25, 2018)
Loss: Dustin Poirier (TKO4, April 14, 2018)
Loss: Eddie Alvarez (KO3, Dec. 2, 2017)
Win: Michael Johnson (TKO2, July 7, 2017)
Combating phrases
“Me and Cowboy go means again. In 2012, he introduced me out to be a coaching companion when he fought Melvin Guillard. I stayed on the ranch with him for 2 weeks. Then I went to Vail, Colorado, and stayed in his RV with him for 2 weeks. He nearly knocked me out. Dropped me, gave me a superb concussion. Yeah, I used to be only a pure wrestler again then. So, for one, I am glad to get that again from him.” –Gaethje, talking to ESPN about his historical past with Cerrone
Movie research
1:39
Look again at Donald Cerrone’s greatest moments contained in the cage from his 4 fights prior to now 12 months.
Brett Okamoto’s decide
At this level, I’ve misplaced rely of what number of occasions I have been “fearful” about Cerrone going right into a battle. Simply from the sense of, “Man, this looks like an excessive amount of.” It looks like an excessive amount of for Cerrone, at age 36, with the damage and tear he has, to chop to 155 kilos 4 occasions in 9 months. It looks like an excessive amount of for him to face a 30-year-old stress fighter like Gaethje, three months after absorbing the injury he did within the Ferguson loss. My head says Gaethje all the way in which right here. However Cerrone has proved resistant to the “an excessive amount of” idea earlier than. Cowboy by TKO, fourth spherical
Ready within the wings
that as quickly as Saturday’s essential occasion ends we’ll be seeing a tweet from @TheNotoriousMMA, congratulating the winner and calling him out. Why do we all know this? As a result of Conor McGregor does it after virtually each essential occasion. He is all the time ready within the wings. Does that imply he desires to battle Saturday’s winner? Nobody is aware of, as a result of McGregor has but to signal a contract to battle any of the blokes he has referred to as out.
However this is the factor: The Cerrone-Gaethje winner could be a superb selection for a comeback opponent. Each guys are motion fighters, and McGregor is at his finest when somebody goes proper at him. Beating both of those guys would make Conor a legit title challenger, whereas possibly successful again followers who deserted him throughout his troubled previous few years.
What else to search for … past the principle occasion
Watch them go, go, go till somebody is stopped
The sunshine heavyweight co-main occasion shouldn’t be missing for motion, for a few causes:
Glover Teixeira (29-7) has stoppages in 25 of his 29 victories. The previous title challenger has received two in a row.
Nikita Krylov (26-6) has stoppages in all however one in every of his wins, His 5.5 vital strikes landed per minute symbolize the very best fee in UFC mild heavyweight historical past, in line with UFC Stats. He has received 5 of his previous six.
You would possibly see this battle on SportsCenter … briefly
Heavyweight Todd Duffee (9-Three), who ends 4 years of injury-plagued inactivity by dealing with Jeff Hughes (10-2), has the fourth-shortest common battle time in UFC historical past, at Three minutes, 18 seconds. He additionally owns the quickest knockout in UFC heavyweight historical past: seven seconds, in his 2009 debut in opposition to Tim Hague. In all 12 of Duffee’s professional fights, somebody has gotten knocked out, with solely two of his fights making it previous the primary spherical.
Will everybody’s Zero survive, or no?
4 fighters are placing undefeated information on the road: Jimmy Crute (10-Zero, 2-Zero within the UFC) opens the principle card with a light-weight heavyweight battle in opposition to Misha Cirkunov (14-5); and in a few males’s bantamweight prelims, Hunter Azure (7-Zero) makes his UFC debut in opposition to Brad Katona, and Miles Johns (9-Zero), additionally in his first UFC look, faces Cole Smith (7-Zero, 1-Zero UFC), who’s combating in his Vancouver hometown.
Nickname of the night time
“Cowboy” is so iconic that it is turn into a main identifier. There are followers on the market who do not know that Cerrone’s given identify is Donald.
There are another robust contenders on this card, although, one in every of whom might be standing proper throughout the cage from Cowboy. Gaethje is really the embodiment of “The Spotlight.” In the event you do not perceive why, you’ll after the battle is over.
Past the principle eventers, who’d wish to step inside a cage with featherweight Jordan Griffin upon studying that he goes by “Native Psycho”? Mild heavyweight Jimmy “The Brute” Crute is the poet laureate of scary nicknames, making his rhyme. Bantamweight Cole Smith’s “The Cole Practice” is kinda jazzy. Middleweight Antonio Carlos Junior is named “Cara de Sapato,” which is Portuguese for “Shoe Face.” That one has to earn factors for being perplexing in two languages. The winner for many aspirational nickname is clearly bantamweight Ryan MacDonald, who’ll be launched for the second bout of the night time as “Predominant Occasion.” And opening the night with an onomatopoeic “Thud” might be light-weight Austin Hubbard.
However c’mon, even a metropolis slicker is aware of it is received to be Cowboy. What did y’all say his actual first identify is?