The UFC is set to bring its Octagon to Austin, Texas, this Sunday (Feb. 18, 2018), as UFC Fight Night 126 will take place live on FOX Sports 1 from the Frank Erwin Center.
In the main event, veteran fan favorite Donald Cerrone will square off with rising Hawaiian contender Yancy Medeiros.
The co-main event, meanwhile, will play host to a battle between two top 10 heavyweights, as Derrick Lewis and Marcin Tybura will do battle.
Also on the main card, Texan James Vick will clash with veteran Francisco Trinaldo in a battle of lightweight contenders.
Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look into UFC Austin’s top fights:
Donald Cerrone vs. Yancy Medeiros
This main event bout has all the makings to become a ‘Fight of the Night’-winning fight between two entertaining, offensive-minded fighters.
Cerrone, who spent the majority of his career competing in the 155-pound division, made the move up to welterweight in 2016 and saw immediate success, winning four consecutive bouts. More recently, however, he’s dropped three straight bouts with two of them ending via TKO.
Stylistically, “Cowboy” is quite well rounded.
On the feet, he’s long and rangy and possesses a dangerous Muay Thai skill set. His jab is crisp, and he mixes up his punches well, while also utilizing a devastating arsenal of kicks.
In terms of grappling, “Cowboy’s” wrestling has always been a bit underrated in my opinion, and his takedowns have improved a great deal in recent years. He’s also a fantastic submission artist, as 16 of his 32 professional victories have come via submission. I’d argue that he holds the advantage in this department, and he could use it as a path to victory in this fight.
Medeiros, on the other hand, has seemed to hit his stride lately, as he’s won three consecutive bouts with all three ending via stoppage.
The hard-hitting Hawaiian, who trains with featherweight champion Max Holloway, is a scrappy fighter who comes from a karate and wrestling background, which makes his style a bit unique.
On the feet, Medeiros uses a high volume attack, while often switching stances. He prefers to throw jabs and straight punches, but also possesses a solid kicking arsenal, although he may not want to trade kicks with Cerrone.
In terms of grappling, Medeiros’ wrestling may also be a bit underrated, although he rarely shoots for a takedown. On the ground, he has a solid submission game, but he’ll need to be extra careful scrambling with “Cowboy”.
Ultimately, I find this fight to difficult to call.
Medeiros will be coming off of a quick turnaround from a difficult fight, which raises some concern, but Cerrone’s recent skid also raises questions about the state of not only his chin but his career as well.
Regardless, I expect the fight to play out on the feet, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Hawaiian land the big shots, but I feel as if Cerrone is the more polished striker, and if he can mix up his attack, he may be able to hurt Medeiros.
Prediction: Donald Cerrone def. Yancy Medeiros via fourth-round TKO
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