Hot take - Cowboy isn't that washed, but his style is

Kyle Stephens

Kyle Stephens

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First things first - I think he is washed and he should retire. But I think it's more than just being old and shopworn. He had bad match-ups after bad match ups and vs. top flight competition. But his last fight shows something more - his style is kinda outdated in modern MMA. :(

So... why?
He's not a fleet of foot point fighter or in your face dutch stylist, his thing is striking geared against wrestling shots complimented with decent jitz off his back, if he gets taken down. Nowadays the base level of MMA striking (specially at 155!) is a lot better than even 5 years, let alone when Cowboy was in his prime. The wrestlers he chew up before, now can do it all. Maybe two-three years ago I would've said his style is outdated at the elite level, but the game has gone so far that now his style is outdated a level below that.

He is totally fucking up short and stocky wrestlers/grapplers who have loopy hands and stay at kicking distance with him (Iaquinta, Hernandez). But he gets flummoxed by rangier guys, or even people who throw just more of a straight shots (and feints) and are not crashing the distance predictably. His posture is too upright, upper body too stiff, feet stuck in the mud... He can't compete in boxing range, can't chase down mobile strikers and equally can't get away if he's pressured. Dedicated strikers fuck him up badly (Till, Masvidal), but even just more composed fighters who can pressure him relatively safely and are taking the iniciative just outpoints him. Examples are Ferg and the the dollar store Ferguson - Niko Price.

I'm sure some of you who are a lot better with the technique terms and have watched a lot more tape and maybe have practice can add more detail (which I would love to read), but in short this is my take - Cerrone mainly ran out of comfortable match-ups. There is hardly any Patrick Cotes or Rick Storys at WW anymore, and at LW are even less - you gotta look for guys outside the top 20...
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Cheers!
 
He sucks in meaningful fights. Now that he's lost quite a few in a row they are all big fights, I wish him luck though. He should be on the undercard from now on if not cut (I like him but I think he should be cut).
 
TheMessiah said:
I think he can beat most new prospects like he did with Hernandez. He didn't look out of place against Price, whose dangerous and can get a ko out of nowhere
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The impressive thing is that he survived that. But getting outpointed by Price, who is KO or bust type of fighter, is a bad look.
 
Well he’s done fighting top guys for sure, but he can get some nice pay checks being gatekeeper for new guns and likes of Price, Perry, Cowboy only looked like a can vs Gregor, rest fights was atleast decent enough
 
I think after his mini recover in late 2018/early 2019 he desided to cash in, took 3 big fights against top level guys back to back. Would not be supprised if he had significant incentive payments from the UFC to take those fights beyond standard earnings.
 
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@TheMessiah he's not for sure. But the thread is more about how his style is not very relevant in modern MMA. Yeah, he's old, yeah I'm not quite sure that more or less coaching himself is optimal (I would LOVE to see him training at Elevation Fight Team, it would be a good place for him IMO and I think it's close?), but the main thing making him look that bad is his style not up to date. In my opinion of course.

I think a neutralizing low risk clinch style like Neal Magny's would fit him well. He's a decent clinch fighter now, a tweak here and there and he can do a good impression of Magny's game, why not? But I'm not too sure it would work good at WW, he's not that physical to pull that off.
 
He is super stiff, stands upright and has no real head mouvemet...recipe for disaster against any striker with top level talent.
 
Kyle Stephens said:
@TheMessiah he's not for sure. But the thread is more about how his style is not very relevant in modern MMA. Yeah, he's old, yeah I'm not quite sure that more or less coaching himself is optimal (I would LOVE to see him training at Elevation Fight Team, it would be a good place for him IMO and I think it's close?), but the main thing making him look that bad is his style not up to date. In my opinion of course.

I think a neutralizing low risk clinch style like Neal Magny's would fit him well. He's a decent clinch fighter now, a tweak here and there and he can do a good impression of Magny's game, why not? But I'm not too sure it would work good at WW, he's not that physical to pull that off.
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Maybe some wrestling too. Cowboy has an underrated ground game
 
moreorless87 said:
I think after his mini recover in late 2018/early 2019 he desided to cash in, took 3 big fights against top level guys back to back. Would not be supprised if he had significant incentive payments from the UFC to take those fights beyond standard earnings.
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Yup, and he's still broke which is why he won't retire. Once UFC releases him after his contract is up (I think he has 3 fights left) he will head to Bellator or One. I could even see Dana giving him 1 more fight then releasing him from his contract to fight elsewhere.
 
He was always a take a punch to land a punch type of fighter, and he fights way more often than most high level fighters so he's taken a ton damage. He's noticeably slower and his chin use be great now it's at best average which does not work with his style.
 
No way. He's so obviously regressed athletically, just look how he moves.

I like Niko Price a lot but his striking is disjointed and just not very good. That would be a fight Cowboy should easily win a few years ago.

His style was never perfect because he's always got his ass kicked by guys who could pressure but the regression is glaringly obvious. I do think his decline was pretty recent and I don't think any of his losses are to people he would beat in his prime, other than Niko, though.
 
xP said:
No way. He's so obviously regressed athletically, just look how he moves.

I like Niko Price a lot but his striking is disjointed and just not very good. That would be a fight Cowboy should easily win a few years ago.

His style was never perfect because he's always got his ass kicked by guys who could pressure but the regression is glaringly obvious. I do think his decline was pretty recent and I don't think any of his losses are to people he would beat in his prime, other than Niko, though.
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It wasn't as much his style as his mentality. He's talked about how nervous he is going into a fight, if his opponent jumps on him early he can't respond properly. If he gets going then he could deal with pressure.
 
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campbecc said:
It wasn't as much his style as his mentality. He's talked about how nervous he is going into a fight, if his opponent jumps on him early he can't respond properly. If he gets going then he could deal with pressure.
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yeah, i'm just combining his temperament in with his style because they both play off each other but it's definitely more of a mental thing. his game has solid answers to pressure between his jab, knee, front kick and counter combinations. he's just a slow starter even when not pressured and when he is pressured he just can't answer often.
 
honestly he should just grapple. his striking is pretty stiff but his grappling is way underrated. I'm tired of seeing cowboy though lol. I'm ready to let the old guard just die out already tbh
 
TheMessiah said:
Maybe some wrestling too. Cowboy has an underrated ground game
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For sure. But his wrestling shot is not that great. And he's not that dynamic for conventional wrestling. I agree he have to lean on his grappling more, tho. But from the clinch, some neat trips something like that. Wrestling for old people, with bad knees and backs. :D
Sad Dad said:
honestly he should just grapple. his striking is pretty stiff but his grappling is way underrated. I'm tired of seeing cowboy though lol. I'm ready to let the old guard just die out already tbh
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mixing the two to open some possibilities. the striking alone is meh, and his wresling alone is even more meh...
 
Kyle Stephens said:
First things first - I think he is washed and he should retire. But I think it's more than just being old and shopworn. He had bad match-ups after bad match ups and vs. top flight competition. But his last fight shows something more - his style is kinda outdated in modern MMA. :(

So... why?
He's not a fleet of foot point fighter or in your face dutch stylist, his thing is striking geared against wrestling shots complimented with decent jitz off his back, if he gets taken down. Nowadays the base level of MMA striking (specially at 155!) is a lot better than even 5 years, let alone when Cowboy was in his prime. The wrestlers he chew up before, now can do it all. Maybe two-three years ago I would've said his style is outdated at the elite level, but the game has gone so far that now his style is outdated a level below that.

He is totally fucking up short and stocky wrestlers/grapplers who have loopy hands and stay at kicking distance with him (Iaquinta, Hernandez). But he gets flummoxed by rangier guys, or even people who throw just more of a straight shots (and feints) and are not crashing the distance predictably. His posture is too upright, upper body too stiff, feet stuck in the mud... He can't compete in boxing range, can't chase down mobile strikers and equally can't get away if he's pressured. Dedicated strikers fuck him up badly (Till, Masvidal), but even just more composed fighters who can pressure him relatively safely and are taking the iniciative just outpoints him. Examples are Ferg and the the dollar store Ferguson - Niko Price.

I'm sure some of you who are a lot better with the technique terms and have watched a lot more tape and maybe have practice can add more detail (which I would love to read), but in short this is my take - Cerrone mainly ran out of comfortable match-ups. There is hardly any Patrick Cotes or Rick Storys at WW anymore, and at LW are even less - you gotta look for guys outside the top 20...
200.gif

Cheers!
Click to expand...
Hmm, interesting take and I think there's at least some truth to it. Cowboy is really one of the last of that generation where to be a good striker really meant being able to deal with wrestle-boxers. But nowadays we have a lot more polished strikers and even the wrestle-boxers are better. I say give him a few gimme fights and let him retire on a streak. He should also get lifetime passes to UFC events.
 
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