Welterweight action fighter Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (33-10, 9 KO, 16 SUB) meets rising prospect Leon Edwards (15-3, 6 KO, 3 SUB) at UFC Fight Night 132 on Saturday, June 23, 2018 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The card airs live on UFC Fight Pass starting 8 am ET.
Donald Cerrone is in sort of a career limbo right now: he’s one of the company’s most marketable stars, but it’s tough to place where he stands in the welterweight division today. A 3-fight losing streak - two in which he got murked by top fighters - has pushed Cowboy outside of the top 10, but his most recent victory over Yancy Medeiros shows that he’s still got plenty left.
This Saturday, Cowboy headlines UFC Fight Night 132 against Jamaica’s Leon “Rocky” Edwards, and it’s a crossroads scrap for sure. A win by Edwards would be the biggest of his career and his eighth straight, which would put him inside the top 10. Cowboy is fighting to stay relevant, as a loss could drop him out of the rankings for the first time in a loooong while.
Here’s the thing: while Cowboy might not be able to cut it against the elites, he always seems to do well when facing lower-tier guys. So the question here is whether Edwards is a future contender, or just a good fighter beating midcard talent.
Sho how should you bet this fight? Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down the matchup and betting options below.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Donald Cerrone +165
Leon Edwards -215
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +195 / -255
Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed p/m: Cerrone 4.24 / Edwards 2.17
Accuracy: Cerrone 48.04% / Edwards 47.58%
Significant strikes absorbed p/m: Cerrone 4.09 / Edwards 1.9
Defense: Cerrone 54.5% / Edwards 56.4%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Cerrone 1.35 / Edwards 1.52
Takedown accuracy: Cerrone 37.8% / Edwards 32.43%
Takedowns defended: Cerrone 71.15% / Edwards 67.35%
Submission average: Cerrone 1.52 / Edwards 0.63
Matchup Preview
Edwards has yet to forge a fighting identity, but we do know that he’s already very good. While his resume isn’t flashy, he’s accumulated a solid winning streak over underrated fighters like Albert Tumenov, Bryan Barberena and Vicente Luque. If you take the sum of those guys, you realize that “Rocky” has beaten excellent strikers and grapplers alike. In fact, the only guy to definitively beat him in the UFC is powerhouse wrestler Kamaru Usman.
Though he started off as a southpaw counter-boxer, Edwards has quickly developed a sharp wrestling game, both offensively and defensively. He’s quickly figured out how to use his athleticism to sprawl on opponents shots, and can pass and take the back slickly in transition. This should come in handy against the well-rounded Cowboy.
We know exactly who Cowboy is at this point in his career: an excellent kickboxer and savvy submission artist. He often starts slow and doesn’t respond to pressure. If he gets off to a rocky start, things go south for him fast. But when the 35-year old is on his game and gets in rhythm, he’s a devil that can blast away with all eight striking points.
But this will be the 44th time that Cowboy makes the walk to the cage, on top of a pro kickboxing background. He’s not the guy he used to be, and it’s obvious when he gets hit clean. Though the Jackson-Wink fighter is as game as they come, he can be overwhelmed physically as he declines.
UFC Odds Pick: Edwards to win at -215
This is admittedly a hesitant pick. On one hand, this is exactly the type of fight that Cerrone usually beasts in. But he’s been in so many wars and it’s getting easier to knock him off his game. Edwards won’t be able to thrash him like Till did, but he’s younger and fresher, with a toolbox that matches up well. He should be able to find a way to pull through against Cowboy.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC Fight UFC Fight Night 132 takes place on Saturday, June 23, 2018 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The card airs live on UFC Fight Pass starting 8 am ET.
