UFC 228 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions for Woodley vs. Till
Darren Till has the opportunity to become a star at UFC 228 when the heavy-hitting Brit takes on Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title in Dallas.
Till has experienced a fast rise. While his first four fights in the UFC were against largely unknown prospects, he has turned two wins over Donald Cerrone and Stephen Thompson into a title shot.
Standing across the cage from him will be Woodley, who hasn't lost since 2014 in a stretch that has seen him beat Thompson, Demian Maia and Robbie Lawler.
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Unfortunately, the card lost its second main attraction. A women's flyweight title fight was canceled when Nicco Montano was hospitalized before the weigh-ins. She has been stripped of the title, per Steven Marrocco of MMAjunkie.
Main Card (10 PM ET, PPV)
- Tyron Woodley (c) (+115) vs. Darren Till (-145)
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz (+350) vs. Jessica Andrade (-500)
- Zabit Magomedsharipov (-1400) vs. Brandon Davis (+750)
- Jimmie Rivera (-145) vs. John Dodson (+115)
- Niko Price (+105) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (-135)
Preliminary Card (8 PM ET, FX)
- Carla Esparza (+350) vs. Tatiana Suarez (-500)
- Aljamain Sterling (-160) vs. Cody Stamann (+130)
- Frank Camacho (+160) vs. Geoff Neal (-200)
- Charles Byrd (-200) vs. Darren Stewart (+160)
Preliminary Card (6:15 PM ET, Fight Pass)
- Diego Sanchez (+175) vs. Craig White (-225)
- Jim Miller (+125) vs. Alex White (-155)
- Irene Aldana (-120) vs. Lucie Pudilova (-110)
- Jarred Brooks (-400) vs. Roberto Sanchez (+300)
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.
Can Darren Till Emerge as a Star?
Tyron Woodley's reign as welterweight champion hasn't been must-see TV. The Missouri native has been effective but nearly unwatchable as the titleholder.
First there was the extended staring contests in fights with Thompson, then the prolonged takedown-defense clinic against Maia.
Woodley has tremendous skills: His wrestling is top notch, and his one-punch power can be fight-changing. But he just doesn't put any of it together in an entertaining way.
Till could change that.
"The Gorilla" is a massive welterweight who has failed to make weight twice in the past. He's also an aggressive striker and has withstood punishment from the likes of Cerrone and Thompson.
He understands the weight of the moment, too.
"I always want to be different, I always want to be that special guy," Till told Brian Campbell of CBS Sports in an interview published Wednesday. "We have never had that UFC star from Liverpool. It's like the weight of Liverpool is resting on my shoulders. I just want to be different and be that different guy from the crowd."
Although he lacks experience, Till has the skill set to make this interesting. His combination of size and striking ability should help him close the distance more safely than most against the champion.
If he's able to draw Woodley into a slugfest, he is the more diverse and effective striker.
Prediction: Till via fourth-round TKO.
Who Will Claim No. 1 Contender Status in Women's Strawweight?
Jessica Andrade and Karolina Kowalkiewicz are both already in the top five and bring two-fight win streaks into the cage, and now they will vie to become the No. 1 contender to Rose Namajunas' title.
No. 1-ranked fighter Joanna Jedzrejczyk has fought the champion twice now, leaving the void of next challenger open.
Andrade is the favorite most likely due to her pressure game. Her forward movement and heavy hands are tough to deal with, and Kowalkiewicz is fairly small for the weight class.
This fight is going to come down to the Polish muay thai specialist's ability to stay out of a slugfest. If she allows Andrade to stalk her down for three rounds, it will be a difficult night.
Sticking and moving is the blueprint Jedrzejczyk used to rout Andrade via unanimous decision in May, and it's easy to see Kowalkiewicz utilitzing the same path to a similar result, even if she can't quite beat Joanna Violence herself.
Prediction: Kowalkiewicz via unanimous decision
Can Jimmie Rivera Get Back on Track?
Just three months ago, Jimmie Rivera was in the middle of a 20-fight win streak and on the doorstep of a title shot. Thirty-three seconds in the cage with Marlon Moraes later, he was lying on the mat with his first UFC loss.
A defeat like that can either be a blip on the radar or the derailment of a career arc.
A lot of that depends on what they look like the next time out. For Rivera, that means putting in a strong performance against former title challenger John Dodson, who is also looking to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since 2015.
Rivera knows this is an opportunity for him to show that he's over the loss to Moraes.
"One of the things I've learned is; it's a part of life that we fail," Rivera told Tim Bissell of Bloody Elbow on Friday. "We teach that to the kids here, even the adults here, but it's about what you do right after you fail. You get right back up and you try again and you don't give up. So that's the big picture here, that's what I focus on, getting back up and getting right back in there."
The difference between these two fighters is age. At 33, Dodson's once blinding speed has slowed, and he doesn't quite have the pop he once had. Rivera is 29 and not nearly as reliant on his athletic abilities.
While neither is likely to finish his opponent, Rivera should use his timing and angles to score more points than Dodson.
Prediction: Rivera via unanimous decision
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