This weekend, UFC 228 will be headed to American Airlines Arena at Dallas for a collision between American artist Tyron Woodley (22-18-3-1) and Liverpool native Darren Till (18-17-0-1) in welterweight division. Woodley would be defending his belt against The Gorilla who is fighting as an interim champ since the real contender Colby Convington is unable to make his appearance on the octagon owing to surgery.
Background – Tyron Woodley vs. Darren Till
Just a year ago, the handsome Briton was triumphant with a unanimous decision victory over Bojan Velickovic. This acted as a première show for a jubilant year for the English Gorilla as he dispatched a remarkable defeat to Donald Cerrone in the first round followed by an extremely challenging win over Stephen Thompson, opening his doors for a title-contention bout.
Facing Darren Till would be one of the most influential fighters in UFC, 36-year-old Tyron Woodley. The Chosen One is well equipped to handle any catastrophe caused by his rival Till with his unmatched punching power and an athleticism that can absorb lethal shocks. Right now, the current champion is ranked at No. 7 on pound-for-pound ranking.
A fine wrestler, Woodley is known to drop down his opponents even at the closing minutes of the fight, and there is a very less chance that in the upcoming showdown the two artists would go distance.
The Briton prodigy, on the other hand, is blessed with an impressive size and seems to be hovering over T-Wood. Woodley boasts wide lats, shoulders and chest giving him the benefit of advanced wrestling impact which can leave the opponent churning. While his opponent is much larger in size, his width is unmatchable making him a dreadful force to mess with.
Till’s weight can be turning factor for this fight. Though the 25-year-old fighter has assured his fans that he is the lightest he could ever get, his previous missed weight against a fight Stephen Thompson has made media and fans skeptical of the outcome of weigh ins on Friday (September 7).
If Till’s weight cut proves too draining for him, it could be just the perfect opportunity for the brawly Woodley to execute his leg power to drop his hovering opponent onto the canvas and finish him off with some sturdy grinding.
On the other hand, if Till isn’t deprived of energy and impact from the weigh ins, he could definitely enjoy a whopping size and reach advantage, causing some serious trouble for the stout Woodley to escape his rampage.
RDX Sports Prediction: Till by unanimous decision
Whom do you think will emerge victorious in the battle of varying sizes Darren Till vs. Tyron Woodley? Share your views here.
