Darren Till vs 'Cowboy' Cerrone: Unbeaten Englishman meets his 'gatekeeper'

As a rule of thumb, professional competitors hate being labelled a ‘gatekeeper’.

A ‘gatekeeper’ is an athlete that fans and media alike can use as a measuring stick of sorts to gauge whether others have what it takes. It is a label usually thrust upon those who come up short against the very top contenders, but win most of their other bouts. Those who beat a gatekeeper have ‘passed the test’. Those who don’t probably won’t rise all the way to the top.

It’s easy to see why nobody would want to be a gatekeeper. In sports, you want to be the one at the top; the one trying to pass the tests. The thought of serving as a supporting character in the story being told by the promoter or perceived by the fans is little more than a ‘solid’ B grade; confirmation of the glass ceiling sitting inches above your head.

READ MORE: Aluko back in contention for England

READ MORE: Real need to address their Isco problem

And yet, Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone has no problem with it at all.

The charismatic veteran fights this weekend in Gdansk, Poland versus unbeaten Englishman Darren Till. With a 32-9 record and coming off two defeats on the bounce, many view this as an assessment of Till’s future championship credentials more than that the 34-year-old.

“It’s not like those things hurt my feelings, Cerrone told MMAjunkie during fight week media duties. “I know who I am, and it’s fine.

I’ve been in this game a long time. This is my 34th Zuffa walk. I’ve been in the top 10 almost my entire career. That’s a pretty cool thing I can say. I’m here, I’m (expletive) going out and having fun, and I can’t (expletive) wait.

“Can you pass that test? It’s a good training exercise for Darren. Welcome to the big leagues. Some people say, ”Cowboy’ is the gatekeeper.’ (Expletive) it: Can he get past the gate? We’ll see.”

Colorado resident Cerrone is a big step up in competition for Liverpool’s Till, and despite his nonchalant attitude when it comes to his image, his motivation to prevent a true career slump will be sky-high.

Whether he’s comfortable with ‘gatekeeper’ status or not, he certainly won’t want an immediate future where he’s not even regarded as being at that level.

It may explain why the label is failing to faze the American, at least in public – Cerrone is wisely trying to make sure the media onus remains on 24-year-old Till.

“I’m glad Darren took the fight,” Cerrone continued. “He’s coming hard, I’m sure.

“This is the biggest moment of his life. Lights, camera, action, man. This is a big deal.

“Five rounds, a big fight. You went from the undercard to the big card. I’ve been there.

“This is just another day for me. But for him, this is a big test. Are you going to be able to show up? Is five rounds too much for you? Is it too much up (in the head)?

READ MORE: Chelsea star’s dressing room revelation

READ MORE: Can Benzema be tempted to Arsenal?

“Physically I’m sure you’re fine, but (mentally) it’s a big deal.”

He continued: “Everyone’s like, ‘You’re overlooking him.’ At what point do I look past somebody? You mean the six weeks I’m training my ass off for this fight?

“People are so strange. I train hard. I train the same always. I stay ready.

“Fighting is what I love to do. It doesn’t always go my way. Right now I’m two in the wrong. The Robbie (Lawler) fight, to me, that could have gone either way.

“People weren’t like, ‘Oh, you went out there and let us down.’ I fought the best in the world and (expletive) loved it.”