Preview: UFC on ESPN 24 ‘Rodriguez vs. Waterson’

Welterweights

NR | Donald Cerrone (36-15, 23-12) vs. NR | Alex Morono (18-7, 7-4 UFC)

ODDS: Cerrone (-130), Morono (+110)

He has obviously slowed down over the years and he is currently in need of a win, but Cerrone can still get the job done. “Cowboy” made his name by essentially being willing to take any fight at any time, which has led to some gaudy counting numbers. This fight will put Cerrone back in a tie with Jim Miller for the most fights in UFC history, and his is currently in the lead for all-time Octagon wins. For years, it was rare to see Cerrone without any sort of momentum to his career. He would suffer high-profile losses, but his rate of activity meant that he would be back on a two- or three-fight winning streak within the course of a few months. That has made it a surprise to see Cerrone suddenly on a five-fight winless streak, though it still means that his last win was as recent as May 2019. Despite the run of losses—and a draw that was overturned to a no contest against Niko Price—it is difficult to think much less of Cerrone, at least compared to the form that still saw him turning back younger talents in 2019. Quick losses to the likes of Justin Gaethje and Conor McGregor were the types of fights that would have played out much the same way near Cerrone’s peak. Otherwise, he has hung tough against opponents like Price and Anthony Pettis and still seems quite capable of teaching worse fighters some hard lessons. Morono is an interesting test as a late replacement, if only because his issues are athletic and not technical. “The Great White” usually comes into his fights with an intelligently aggressive approach, but he is hampered by being one of the worst athletes on the UFC roster. That has led to a clear ceiling but also a surprising amount of success, as one would not think that Morono could put together clear wins against much better athletes like Kenan Song and Max Griffin. However, Cerrone is still a step above most of his counterpart’s opposition, so while Morono should turn this into an absolute war, most of the fight should see him charge into trouble. The pick is Cerrone via second-round submission.

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