Donald Cerrone’s head coach thinks Conor McGregor has only one real threat to offer his man ahead of their UFC 246 clash in Las Vegas on Jan. 18.
McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has used his now-infamous left hand to take out the likes of Jose Aldo, Dustin Poirier, Chad Mendes and many more over the course of his spectacular MMA career.
And Cerrone’s head coach Jafari Vanier says that’s all they have to worry about as they prepare “Cowboy” for his main event clash with McGregor, while they also feel Cerrone (36-13 MMA, 23-10 UFC), has a broader skillset and the ability to stop the Dubliner, wherever the fight goes.
“If I were to look at the two, he’s got a lot more to worry about than we do,” said Vanier in Cerrone’s documentary-series ‘More than a Cowboy’. “We’ve got multiple submission victories, head-kick knockout victories, we’ve got decisions. He just has a left hand. You don’t see Conor submitting anybody, you don’t even see the guy going on the ground – very rare, right? Not saying we’re going to force the fight to the ground, but what I’m saying is he’s got a lot more to worry about than we do.”
Vanier also noted that McGregor has shown a tendency to slow down in some of his fights, and he believes that McGregor’s gas tank, coupled with his left-hand-heavy attack, will be something Cerrone can capitalize on when the pair meet inside the octagon.
“We just have to worry about a left hand in that first round – him coming out on fire,” Vanier said. “You’ve never really seen ‘Cowboy’ ever gas. After the first round and a half for Conor, (he) fades. There’s not a lot of pop in that left hand any more, footwork goes down, his hands are heavy. So I mean these are all things that you watch and see, so these are no secrets to what’s going on.
“So for us, it’s just a matter of capitalizing on those things, making sure we’re very aware, eyes open in that first round, stay away from that left hand. We stay away from that left hand, it’s going to be a short night.”
Donald Cerrone's head coach on Conor McGregor's arsenal ahead of UFC 246: 'He just has a left hand'
