UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs Medeiros Betting Odds and Preview

Austin, Texas is the backdrop for UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs Medeiros – a card stacked with action fighters who are sure to please fans. The main event sees Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone trying to get back on the horse against red-hot Yancy Medeiros, who is 3-0 since moving up to welterweight.

On paper, this event promises plenty of fun bouts with the likes of hard-hitting Derrick Lewis and finisher James Vick littered throughout the card.  

Donald Cerrone vs Yancy Medeiros

Cerrone (-160) is a master when he can fight in his preferred space. If “Cowboy” can keep the striking battle at a distance, he will methodically chip away at an opponent with his vicious kicking game. However, pressure continues to be Cerrone’s kryptonite. If an opponent can force Cerrone to move backward, he wilts and can – frankly – be dominated. Just look at what Jorge Masvidal and Darren Till did to Cowboy.

Many people tend to forget about Cerrone’s excellent submission abilities with his fondness of striking. An owner of a black belt in BJJ, Cerrone is aggressive and attacks if a fight goes to the ground with a wide array of submission techniques. His defensive wrestling is stout thanks to his use of space in the striking game but is nothing to write home about offensively.

Medeiros (+130) also prefers to fight at range in the striking game, with his reach and volume picking away at opponents. “The Kid” generally likes to work behind his piston-like straight punches but his kicking game is underrated despite his prior experience in karate. Medeiros is the type of fighter who steps inside that cage to brawl, which is exciting as hell for fans but is a huge detriment to any semblance of striking defense.

The Hawaiian has excellent takedown defense – thanks to both his technique and his ability to keep a fight at range. Good wrestlers can take him down but Medeiros is a great scrambler with the awareness to take advantage of the chaos. However, if you can get Medeiros to the ground and keep him there, he doesn’t offer much resistance.

Cerrone enters this fight as a far more well-rounded and polished striker. However, he has always had an issue with aggressive opponents who push the pace – which is Medeiros’ MO. Cowboy deserves to be the favorite in this one but I don’t think anyone who pays attention to the sport would be shocked if Medeiros wins.

Other Notable Fights

The co-main event is a heavyweight bout between Derrick Lewis (+130) and Marcin Tybura (-160). We all know what Lewis is at this point, as “The Black Beast” is a home run slugger. Lewis uses his powerful hands and physicality to force his opponent to the fence where he can just load up and start bombing. However, his defensive wrestling and cardio are both subpar. Tybura isn’t sexy but his well-rounded game is a fresh sight in a largely one-dimensional heavyweight division. The Pole’s top attribute is his grappling with Tybura sporting aggressive ground and pound while moving well between positions. “Tybur” has solid striking but his defense deteriorates greatly as he tires.

An intriguing lightweight matchup between James Vick (-235) and Francisco Trinaldo (+185) could end up being the fight of the night. Vick is extremely long and lanky for the division and understands how to use that to his advantage. “The Texecutioner” will work from a distance until a counter-striking opportunity presents itself. He also understands how to use his length grappling with a great repertoire of submission tactics. Vick is more of a “death by a thousand cuts” fighter than a huge power puncher, though. Trinaldo is a crisp, technical striker who – despite being 39 years old – is still a great athlete. It’s not always the prettiest but his aggression and pace usually cause an opponent to wilt. The rest of his game is solid, though his defensive wrestling could use work.

UFC Fight Night 126: Donald Cerrone vs Yancy Medeiros Betting Odds
  • Donald Cerrone -160
  • Yancy Medeiros +130
Odds as of February 14 at Sportsbook
  • Derrick Lewis +130
  • Marcin Tybura -160
  • James Vick -235
  • Francisco Trinaldo +185
  • Thiago Alves -170
  • Curtis Millender +140
  • Steven Peterson +145
  • Brandon Davis -175
  • Sage Northcutt -280
  • Thibault Gouti +220
  • Jared Gordon -250
  • Diego Ferreira +195
  • Geoff Neal -205
  • Brian Camozzi +165
  • Roberto Sanchez EVEN
  • Joby Sanchez -130
  • Sarah Moras +135
  • Lucie Pudilova -165
  • Joshua Burkman +205
  • Alex Morono -265
  • Oskar Piechota -270
  • Tim Williams +210
Back to Top