Donald Cerrone’s head coach Jafari Vanier thinks Conor McGregor has only one real threat ahead of their UFC 246 clash on January 18. And that “Cowboy” has a broader skillset and the ability to stop the Dubliner.
“If I were to look at the two, he’s got a lot more to worry about than we do,” said Vanier in Cerrone’s documentary-series “More than a Cowboy”.
“We’ve got multiple submission victories, head-kick knockout victories, we’ve got decisions. He just has a left hand. You don’t see Conor submitting anybody, you don’t even see the guy going on the ground – very rare, right? Not saying we’re going to force the fight to the ground, but what I’m saying is he’s got a lot more to worry about than we do.”
“We just have to worry about a left hand in that first round – him coming out on fire,” Vanier said. “You’ve never really seen ‘Cowboy’ ever gas. After the first round and a half for Conor, (he) fades. There’s not a lot of pop in that left hand any more, footwork goes down, his hands are heavy. So I mean these are all things that you watch and see, so these are no secrets to what’s going on.
“So for us, it’s just a matter of capitalizing on those things, making sure we’re very aware, eyes open in that first round, stay away from that left hand. We stay away from that left hand, it’s going to be a short night.”
