Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight talents Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal will clash TONIGHT (March 16, 2019) at UFC Fight Night 147 from 02 Arena in London, England.
Till’s rise from regional fighter to world title contender did not take particularly long. Undefeated after 18 professional fights, the Englishman entered his bout with Tyron Woodley as a small betting favorite, but ultimately veteran champion proved too much. Now, the 26-year-old “Gorilla” is on the comeback trail. Alternatively, Masvidal took his time before getting to the big stage, fighting for just about every promotion worth-mentioning in the first 30 fights or so of his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career. Since joining UFC’s roster following the Strikeforce merger, Masvidal has proven himself one of the best in the world, but a title shot has eluded him. Like Till, “Gamebred” is looking to bounce back from a tough loss.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
Darren Till
Record: 17-1-1
Key Wins: Stephen Thompson (UFC Fight Night 130), Donald Cerrone (UFC Fight Night 118), Bojan Velickovic (UFC Fight Night 115), Wendell de Oliveira (UFC Fight Night 67)
Key Losses: Tyron Woodley (UFC 228)
Keys to Victory: Till is a rangy Southpaw and makes use of all the offensive strikes one would expect. His cross fires like a piston, and Till’s distance management has thus far proven to be a very effective tool in limiting the options of his opponents.
This is likely to be a close fight. Neither man is particularly high output, as both tend to prioritize accuracy and slickness. As the bigger man and likely harder puncher, Till’s task is to land the heaviest shots while making Masvidal come up short as often as possible. Till’s aforementioned range control will be vital.
Till will have a considerable reach advantage, more so if kicks are considered. Till doesn’t have to be as tricky as Masvidal if he can jam him up with long kicks that Masvidal cannot match. His foe will attempt to close the distance, but that will certainly create openings for Till’s counter cross.
A few big strikes here and there will make the difference, and forcing Masvidal to walk through power shots is the easiest way to land.
Jorge Masvidal
Record: 32-13
Key Wins: Donald Cerrone (UFC on FOX 23), Jake Ellenberger (TUF 24 Finale), Tim Means (UFC on FOX 7), James Krause (UFC 178)
Key Losses: Demian Maia (UFC 211), Stephen Thompson (UFC 217), Benson Henderson (UFC Fight Night 79)
Keys to Victory: Masvidal has been fighting for a long time, and few men look more comfortable inside the cage. The veteran is slick in all areas and excellent at transitioning between the various skills of mixed martial arts MMA, but overall Masvidal prefers to strike.
There are two clear keys to victory for “Gamebred.” First and foremost, Masvidal has to push the pace. Historically, he has a bad habit of losing close decisions and not throwing enough offense — the two habits are closely intertwined. A big reason for his move to Welterweight was an ability to throw more strikes without fear of fatiguing because of a harsh weight cut.
Well, the time to throw punches-in-bunches has arrived.
In addition to keeping a higher pace than Till, mixing it up is important. Till was able to defend a couple decent double-leg attempts from Woodley, but that’s really his only experience against a strong wrestler. Masvidal is an excellent wrestler himself, and his attacks are a bit less predictable than Woodley’s.
Simply put, if Masvidal is actively initiating, throwing combinations, and looking to drop down into a takedown, he’s giving himself the best possible chance.
Bottom Line: This is a really fun match up between Welterweight contenders looking to get back in the win column.
It’s not clear precisely how much time Till has left at Welterweight. He’s missed weight twice already, repeatedly mentioned that 185 pounds is in his future, and is still growing at 26 years old. It’s a matter of when rather than if, and that answer is likely to be decided by this result. A win here puts Till right back in contention, close to another shot at the belt. A loss means he’s multiple wins away from the title; at that point, he might as well jump into a fresh division.
Bouncing back is nothing new for Masvidal. At 34 years old, he’s still in his prime or reasonably close to it. This deep in his career, a title run is unlikely particularly off two consecutive losses. At the same time, Masvidal has always had the skill to potentially be a champion. Maybe he it all finally clicks tonight, but Masvidal needs it to happen quickly if he’s to make a final run at the strap.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 147 fight card, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 4 p.m. ET.
TONIGHT at UFC Fight Night 147, Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal will throw down in the main event. Which man will earn the victory?