It has been a rough year for former top UFC fighter Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Following back-to-back losses to Jorge Masvidal and former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, Cerrone headlined against undefeated 24-year-old prospect Darren Till, who up until last night, had not faced a fighter anywhere near Cerrone’s calibre. As such, Cerrone was definitely the favorite leading up to this main event bout.
But as fate would have it, Cerrone just couldn’t get it together, dropping his third straight shock defeat. This time, at the hands of a young, unproven up-and-comer. After a tremendous first round filled with action, Till blasted Cerrone at around the four minute mark, dropping “Cowboy” on the seat of his pants. Cerrone would find his way back up to the feet but Till swarmed him right after.
The official stoppage came at 4:20 of round 1 when the referee stepped in to call a halt to the contest.
Check Out Darren Till’s Amazing Technical Knockout Victory Over Donald Cerrone
After the fight, Cerrone was all class as he took to social media to give Till his due. Cerrone wrote:
“One hell of a job Darren Till. Safe to say you broke the (expletive) out my nose,” Cerrone wrote. “I don’t make excuses, nor will I ever. You had a great game plan and executed it perfectly. I did not overlook nor take you lightly. So again, congratulations.”
It was Cerrone’s third straight loss in a row. The 34-year-old was once considered one of the top lightweights in the game, but he just hasn’t been himself this year. And now, he’s on the downslide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3l3twVuiyY
One man who could face Till next is “Platinum” Mike Perry, who gave his assessment of both Till and Cerrone’s performance. Perry confronted Till from cageside after the fight.
“Yeah, he looked good against Donald — against Donald Cerrone,” Perry told John Gooden and Dan Hardy. “Not against ‘The Cowboy.’ That’s not the ‘Cowboy’ that wins fights. That’s the Donald that shows up. I wasn’t happy with Donald’s performance. I’ve seen him fight a lot better. Darren didn’t get a tough fighter tonight, he got someone who gave up in the first round. You know that’s not what we’re gonna see with me.”
UFC Fight Night 118 Results
Darren Till def. Donald Cerrone via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:20
Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Jodie Esquibel via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jan Blachowicz def. Devin Clark via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:02
Oskar Piechota def. Jonathan Wilson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Marcin Held def. Nasrat Haqparast via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Brian Kelleher def. Damian Stasiak via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:39
Ramazan Emeev def. Sam Alvey via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Andre Fili def. Artem Lobov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Warlley Alves def. Salim Touahri via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Aspen Ladd def. Lina Lansberg via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:33
Josh Emmett def. Felipe Arantes via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
