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Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley (18-3-1, 6 KOs, 5 SUBs) will defend his title against undefeated Darren Till (17-0, 10 KOs, 2 SUBs) at UFC 228 on Saturday, September 8, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The card airs live on pay-per-view following the FS1 prelims.
Sorry, Colby Covington. Tyron Woodley is ready to scrap, and he’s not waiting around for the brash interim champion. Instead, the welterweight king meets undefeated Darren Till in a compelling matchup.
The circumstances are somewhat controversial. Covington was promised a unification bout, but will be stripped of the interim belt less than two months after winning it. Till prevailed over No. 1 contender Stephen Thompson, but he also badly missed the weight cut and is somehow getting rewarded for it. Woodley hasn’t fought in over a year, and despite vocally calling for Colby, is instead meeting the outspoken Brit.
But if you strip away the context, you’re left with a genuinely intriguing scrap. Till is an absolute monster at welterweight, and when he makes weight he’s one of the biggest guys at 170. He’s undefeated, and it’s generally fun to watch him lay into dudes with a punishing Muay Thai style.
Woodley will make his fourth title defense, but after two of the worst title fights in UFC history, it’s fair to worry whether this’ll be another snoozer. It doesn’t help that Till is coming off a stinker of his own against Wonderboy. But the fact remains that Woodley is one of the most explosive guys at 170, able to end fights with a single outburst.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with Woodley as a slight favorite, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see Till end up as a negative underdog. It’s that close. Make sure to stay updated on any line movement here, and we’ll release our in-depth fight betting previews a few days before the event.
Opening UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Darren Till +110
Tyron Woodley -140
Prop bets coming soon!
Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed p/m: Woodley 2.48 / Till 2.67
Accuracy: Woodley 47.29% / Till 46.35%
Significant strikes landed absorbed p/m: Woodley 2.35 / Till 2.62
Defense: Woodley 61.54% / Till 65.53%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Woodley 1.4 / Till 0.56
Takedown accuracy: Woodley 45.65% / Till 33.33%
Takedowns defended: Woodley 94.83% / Till 83.3%
Submission average: Woodley 0.47 / Till 0
Bet on Woodley vs. Till Odds
Competitive money lines make betting this fight extremely difficult. This feels like a coin flip fight, which makes the underdog more appealing. In this case, Till at +110 seems like a solid value. His size is a problem for anyone in this division, and Woodley’s general inactivity during fights gives challengers an opportunity to win rounds against him.
But if we play devil’s advocate, Woodley has proven himself a master at shutting down the offense of his opponents and eking out victories. He has a set of elite tools at his disposal, whether it’s top-flight wrestling skills, an overhand right that nobody sees coming and a blistering low kick that snapped Carlos Condit’s leg.
Woodley will likely hear the boobirds, as he’s proven a very unpopular champion. Constantly angling for super fights while simultaneously putting fans to sleep. Till’s fight with Thompson didn’t do him any favors, but he’s built up some goodwill after thrashing Donald Cerrone. Woodley pretty much lost any supporters he had after refusing to take lead against Demian Maia. Even Dana White took him to task.
The hope here is that Till brings his trademark aggression, but given how cautious he was against Wonderboy don’t be surprised if there’s a lot of feinting, circling and not much else. If that happens, Dana White’s head just might explode.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC 228 takes place on Saturday, September 8, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The card airs live on pay-per-view following the FS1 prelims.
