Donald Cerrone credits maturity with age – not so much fatherhood – as UFC title run continues
CHICAGO – Donald Cerrone has no clue what to expect out of his fight with Tony Ferguson. However, he does know it won’t take long for the action to pop off.
“Cowboy” (36-11 MMA, 23-8 UFC) is set to meet Ferguson (24-3 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in a potential lightweight title eliminator on Saturday at UFC 238. It’s arguably the most anticipated fight on the pay-per-view card, and that’s because it pits two of the most reliably entertaining athletes to ever grace the octagon. And also, the stakes are immense.
Cerrone has the most victories in UFC history, but Ferguson’s current 11-fight winning streak is tied for the longest active run. That success stems from the chaotic and unpredictable approach “El Cucuy” brings to the cage. Cerrone knows what he’s getting himself into on that front and feels as prepared as can be.
“There’s not many guys who just hit the ground, roll, come up, throw an elbow, (and) spin with such conviction,” Cerrone told MMA Junkie on Wednesday ahead of UFC 238. “This is going to be one of those fights where you don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what Tony’s going to do. He’s going to bring it, and we’re going to stand and throw the (expletive) down. I think for the fans, they know that as well.
“It’s fun. I love it. I love, love, love, love it. I don’t know what else to say other than that. People know (when) ‘Cowboy’ is fighting (they need to) pull the (expletive) car over, find a bar, buy the pay-per-view, and watch it, because it’s going down.”
UFC 238 takes place at United Center in Chicago. The main card, including Cerrone vs. Ferguson, airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
The matchup between Cerrone and Ferguson was a late addition to UFC 238. When Cerrone steps into the octagon, he will be just 35 days removed from a unanimous-decision win over Al Iaquinta at UFC on ESPN+ 9. Cerrone said he’s a fan of the circumstances. Short notice is a non-issue for him, and going into what will be a record-tying 32nd UFC fight, he’s done this several times before.
The difference, though, is that Cerrone said he’s coming into his fights with a different level of self-belief than earlier in his career.
“Believing in yourself is like the hardest thing to do,” Cerrone said. “You don’t believe you’re as good as these guys you’re in here with sometimes. Some people have the mindset where they think they’re better. I was always like, ‘Man, I’m in there with these guys? I’m at the top with the UFC?’ If you look back at my career, I’ve been at the top my whole career. It’s not like I’ve fallen through the ranks and worried if I lose a fight they might cut me. Even in WEC.
“So it’s time like, ‘Maybe you do belong here, maybe it’s time? Let’s go.’ Maybe it just came with age. I feel like I’m in my prime (at) 36. I’m a late starter. Didn’t even go through puberty until I was like 18. So maybe my prime is a little bit later than everyone else’s.”
Going into the most significant non-title fight of his career, Cerrone couldn’t be clicking at a better time. A lot of credit has been given to becoming a father as he’s gone 3-0 since the birth of his son, but he said the newfound success and championship goals stem from something deeper, as well.
“I don’t think that’s the secret weapon,” Cerrone said. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, he has a kid now, now he’s fighting for something.’ No, just I think I’ve matured a lot with age and as a fighter. Now it’s time. Years ago I’d like, ‘I don’t care about the title, I just want to fight every weekend.’ Now it’s time. It’s what I want. I’m going to go get it, I’m going to keep it, then I’m going to jump off on top.”
Cerrone said his plan is to beat Ferguson and then begin preparation for a potential championship fight opportunity. Current 155-pound king Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0 MMA, 11-0 UFC) is scheduled to meet Dustin Poirier (25-5 MMA, 17-4 UFC) at UFC 242 on Sept. 7 in Abu Dhabi, and Cerrone said he will train and make the trip overseas as a backup.
If his services aren’t needed, though, he absolutely intends to meet the winner of that title matchup, especially because he anticipates a statement win over Ferguson.
“This is a No. 1 contender, so this is undoubtedly the way (to the belt),” Cerrone said. “I think I can go in there and finish him. I really do. He’s got a kind of questionable jaw, and he’s just real looney and crazy. If you can beat crazy with crazy, let’s go.”
For more on UFC 238, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.