Donald Cerrone coach downplays Conor McGregor’s skills: ‘He just has a left hand’

Jafari Vanier, the head coach behind Donald Cerrone, doesn’t view Conor McGregor as a particularly versatile fighter.

The coach gave his take on McGregor, who Cerrone will fight in the main event of UFC 246 on January 18, in in Cerrone’s documentary ‘More than a Cowboy.’

“If I were to look at the two, he’s got a lot more to worry about than we do,” Vanier said, comparing Cerrone and McGregor’s arsenals (via MMA Junkie). “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.”

Vanier continued, suggesting that McGregor is only dangerous with his left hand in the first round. If Cerrone can survive that phase of the fight, Vanier believes it will be his fight to win.

“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.”

Do you think a Donald Cerrone victory is as simple as avoiding Conor McGregor’s left hand?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 1/2/2020.