UFC 249: Cowboy Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis Preview, Odds and Prediction

Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone are going to meet once again, more than six years following their previous clash. Back then Pettis scored a first-round win, after a massive body kick, which propelled Cowboy’s liver out, per his words. It was the time once these two guys ruled the UFC, and a lot has changed ever since. At the moment, they are average fighters, who are searching for some boost of morale and a chance to bounce back in the saddle following some pretty nasty experiences.

Preview

Cerrone (+118) comes in this one as a slight underdog, but in our opinion (and we are going to be straight with you here) these odds are not realistic. With all due respect towards the veteran and one of the most popular faces in this sport, he is just a shadow of the fighter he used to be. Don’t get us wrong Pettis too isn’t shiny at the moment, but Cowboy’s (36-14 MMA, 23-11 UFC) recent performances were poor. Three straight losses and three knockouts are pretty much explaining everything. Tony Ferguson rearranged his face, and the doctors had to step in and stop the fight, Justin Gaethje beat him pretty badly, while Conor McGregor sliced the veteran in 40 seconds. It was a fury that definitely revealed to the entire world that Cerrone isn’t competitive for the top fighters anymore.

Pettis (-135) didn’t have some notable results himself over the last few years. Since losing the lightweight title belt, he had 12 battles and lost eight of them. Plenty were following a decision, but still, his career is going downhill. The last two wins were against Michael Chiesa and Stephen Thompson. Thompson was defeated in March 2019, and it seemed that Pettis (22-10 MMA, 9-9 UFC) might be recovering from a tough period, but two losses after that, against Nate Diaz and Carlos Diego Ferreria, pulled him back again. Right now, Showtime, as the fans call him, is No.15 on the UFC welterweight rankings, and desperately needs a win in order to start climbing up the ladder. Otherwise, he will finish the UFC adventure pretty fast. Regardless of being a former champ, Dana White isn’t tolerating fighters who aren’t capable of making big shows.

Prediction

We are pretty sure that you already know what is going to be our pick in this affair. Anything else than Pettis’ win would be a major surprise for us, which is why we have to back up his success on Saturday. Cowboy is a legend and one of the most popular faces in the UFC, but his time passed a long time ago. Even against an average fighter (which Pettis is right now), he doesn’t have bright prospects of avoiding a defeat. Furthermore, we are strongly recommending to bet on Pettis’ win via stoppage. If nothing else, his physical condition is better than Cerrone’s who is older and is washed out due to a fantastic amount of fights he had throughout his career. The bottom line, don’t hesitate, pick Pettis, and that is it.