Donald Cerrone vs. John Makdessi: What We Learned from UFC 187 Tilt

As you likely heard, John Makdessi replaced an injured Khabib Nurmagomedov opposite Donald Cerrone at UFC 187. On paper, the fight was a serious mismatch. In the cage, it looked like one too.From the get-go, Makdessi circled around Cerrone, desperately looking for an angle where he could attack Cowboy...but no such opportunity arose. Makdessi was practically frozen in place, forced to eat punch after kick after punch with no real ability to answer.In the second round, Cerrone landed a clean head kick that forced Makdessi to beckon the ref to break the fight off due to a broken jaw. The final time' 4:44 of Round 2.So what did we learn from this fight'Donald Cerrone Is Getting a Title Fight!Technically, we learned this before the fight, but he still needed to put Makdessi away to seal the deal. And he did! So now we know.The Cowboy is finally, finally, going to pull the trigger on getting a title fight.It's no surprise, of course. Cerrone is one of the top fighters at 155 pounds, owns a particularly strong winning streak and is incredibly popular. Rafael dos Anjos vs. Donald Cerrone 2 is money. Watch for the UFC to announce at the post-fight presser.Makdessi Is Clearly Not Up to Scratch with CerroneThis one wasn't a particularly big surprise, but Makdessi looked completely out of his depth opposite Cerrone. From bell to bell, Cerrone pressured Makdessi, peppered him with strikes and was never made to feel reluctant about doing so.Cerrone is a kickboxer by trade, and it takes a top-level striker to feel comfortable with him standing. While Makdessi was commendably confident in his own skills, Cerrone won this fight without much difficulty. While Makdessi clearly has plenty left in the tank, now is not his time.Cerrone Is Better Than EverCerrone has always been good, but his striking game is better than ever. That's not just a generic phraseto talk about his winning streak, either.He has always had his incredible reach and a dynamic kicking game, but with each outing of late, he has added more layers to his attack.If you try to stay at range with him, he can pick you apart with his sharp hands and biting leg kicks. If you try to move in on him, he can catch you with his well-timed jab and brutal intercepting knees. If you try to clinch with him, he can slice you up with elbows.There is no good way to approach Cerrone right now, and if I'm Dos Anjos, I'm scratching my head about how I could possibly try to tackle this beast.
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