Niko Price wants to run things back with Donald Cerrone in a main event

LAS VEGAS – Niko Price was elated to go to a majority draw with Donald Cerrone at UFC on ESPN+ 36, and he wants to run things back.

After a strong start, multiple inadvertent eye pokes on Cerrone cost Price a point deduction, which proved to be the determining factor of the fight.

Although he only got half his paycheck, Price (14-4-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) seemed OK with the outcome. He is more than happy to run things back, but only next time in a five-round main event.

“Heck yeah, that’s a main event right there, me and him,” Price told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC on ESPN+ 36 post-fight news conference. “You saw what we did in the co-main. I didn’t even see our staredown in one of the interviews, I was like ‘What? They forgot me and Cerrone? How are you gonna forget about us?’ But we opened your eyes in there tonight. You guys won’t ever forget about us fighting again, and next time, we’ll have our own card.”

It’s clear that Price has a lot of admiration for Cerrone (36-15-1 MMA, 23-12-1 UFC), who he looked up to throughout his fighting career. The fact that he got the opportunity to compete against “Cowboy” was enough for him.

“In my eyes, I didn’t lose,” Price said. “It ain’t an ‘L.’ It’s a ‘D.’ No one wants a ‘D,’ but … it’s just glory to get in with him. I didn’t think he would still be fighting before I got up to this level to get to him, and then when he actually moved up to 170, I was like, ‘Holy schnikes, I might be able to get in there with freakin’ Donald Cerrone, and then it comes on an email.”