As one of many largest sports activities stars on the planet, Conor McGregor will probably be a well-recognized face to followers tuning in to observe him at UFC 246 this weekend, though his opponent Donald Cerrone is somebody far much less identified outdoors MMA circles.
‘The Infamous’ Conor McGregor is again, because the Irishman prepares to headline the primary UFC occasion of 2020. However in case you had been questioning about his opponent, he too has etched his title into the MMA historical past books, similar to McGregor.
#1 Cerrone joined the UFC via the WEC merger
Starting in 2001, over the course of the last decade World Excessive Cagefighting would slowly set up itself because the world’s premier MMA group for fighters at 155 lbs and beneath. Among the many many future UFC staples could be Donald Cerrone.
Cerrone started his skilled MMA profession in February 2006 and went 7-Zero earlier than becoming a member of the WEC the next yr. From there, he would take pleasure in a nine-fight profession within the promotion that noticed him problem for the title on three separate events. Sadly for the Denver, Colorado native, these could be the one fights he misplaced throughout his time within the WEC.
In 2010, the WEC was purchased out by the UFC and their roster was absorbed, resulting in the legend of the person referred to as Cowboy.
#2 Cerrone is a widely known adrenaline junkie
When the abbreviation ‘BMF’ was coined by Dana White and the UFC, it felt form of odd for it for use with out Cerrone’s permission. Merely put as a result of he has his personal coaching facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico which is actually a ranch… The BMF Ranch, that’s.
Cerrone does not have his nickname only for his battle anyone, wherever, anytime kind of perspective and magnificence, however as a result of he additionally is sort of the cowboy in common life.
From ranching, driving bulls, sky diving, deep-sea diving, and numerous different wild actions, ‘Cowboy’ has about as extensive of a spread of a storybook as anybody within the sport.
#Three Cerrone was a longtime member of JacksonWink MMA
In the case of a number of the highest gyms and training employees within the historical past of the game, few if any have had the identical degree of success because the group ran by Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn.
The duo has skilled a number of of the game’s biggest to ever do it starting from the likes of Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, Holly Holm, Georges St-Pierre, and Frank Mir simply to call a number of. Additionally, part of that secure for the higher a part of his profession was the WEC alum in Cerrone.
Sadly, the bond between all concerned was damaged main into Cerrone’s 2018 encounter with Mike Perry who had only recently joined on. Ultimately, Cerrone received the final chuckle as he submitted Perry within the opening spherical by way of armbar. But when it wasn’t for on a regular basis he spent with Jackson and Winkeljohn rising up in his MMA profession, he certainly won’t have ended up as profitable as he turned out to be.
#four Cerrone has essentially the most fights and wins in UFC historical past
The Cowboy mentality has grow to be considerably of a label for all fighters who battle regularly and that is due to the person himself.
If he may he would battle each weekend however even with out that possibility, Cerrone has set the bar excessive with 23 profession wins within the UFC. And that is very prone to be prolonged earlier than he calls it quits.
In the case of essentially the most fights total contained in the Octagon, Cerrone is tied along with his fellow light-weight, Jim Miller, at 33.
Regardless of his age of 36 years outdated, Cerrone has been capable of stay a high fighter whether or not that is being aggressive at 155 or 170-pounds. And though he could also be seeing the tip of the highway clearer extra now than ever, it is secure to imagine we’ll nonetheless be getting a pair extra years out of him.
#5 Cerrone is tied for many fights in a single yr
When Cowboy joined the UFC in 2011, he wasted no time attending to work.
As a rookie, the previous three-time WEC title challenger would go on to battle an insane 5 occasions his first yr with the UFC. Within the first of these 5, he would decide up victories with three coming by way of end. Two of which noticed him rating submissions over Dennis Siver and Paul Kelly with the opposite being a TKO of Charles Oliveira.
Along with his title within the operating for fighter of the yr with such nice exercise, all of it got here to a halt in his final bout of 2011 when he suffered a unanimous determination defeat to Nate Diaz. To this present day, it may nonetheless be argued that that battle was the one with essentially the most warmth surrounding it for Cerrone within the UFC.
#6 Of Cerrone’s 36 wins, 17 have come by way of submission
Cerrone has confirmed himself to be one of the thrilling fighters each outing. He can end his opponents in additional methods than one and when he is within the zone, he is a troublesome nut to crack.
Even if he is usually considered a striker, which is not mistaken to say, Cowboy really has extra victories by way of submission than knockouts. And by a good quantity.
Of his 36 wins, 17 have ended by submission with 10 ending by TKO or KO. Usually, Cerrone has used his placing to arrange his submissions by hurting his opponents after which ending them on the mat. However he is a second diploma Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and has confirmed most of the time that he should not be messed with on the bottom.
#7 Cerrone holds the information for knockdowns, finishes, and bonuses
To simply rebound off of No. 5, No. four additional elaborates on the form of type and battle you get with Donald Cerrone. He likes to get soiled and bloody up his opponents and in consequence, he is had some fairly good outcomes.
Amongst his many accolades within the UFC file books, those which will stand out essentially the most are his unmatched 20 knockdowns and 16 finishes. As a by-product of his potential to harm his opponents, it is bolstered the numbers in his checking account as he is picked up 18 bonuses. Whether or not that is been for knockout, submission, efficiency, or battle.
#eight Cerrone has solely competed for a UFC title as soon as
After Cowboy’s loss to Diaz on the finish of 2011, he would go Three-2 earlier than actually discovering his stride once more. This began on the finish of 2013 when he defeated Evan Dunham with a second-round triangle choke.
For Cerrone, the win was the beginning of an plain title battle incomes seven-fight win streak. And a title battle is simply what he received.
On the finish of 2015, Cerrone took on the final man to defeat him previous to his streak within the new champion Rafael dos Anjos. As soon as once more, the Brazilian would get the higher of his American counterpart however this time much more impressively. Dos Anjos would end Cerrone by TKO due to a physique kick adopted up by punches in simply 66 seconds.
After that, Cerrone would make his transfer to the welterweight division the place he went on one other spectacular run.
#9 Cerrone had by no means misplaced again to again fights till 2017
Regardless of getting again on monitor in tremendous spectacular vogue at welterweight, all good issues finish sooner or later.
After racking up 4 straight wins by way of end, three of which got here by strikes, Cerrone bumped into the longer term BMF champ Jorge Masvidal.
The battle could be Cerrone’s first again in his residence of Denver in 5 years. With the highlight on, Masvidal would find yourself being the one to shine brightest.
After nearly ending the battle on the very finish of the primary spherical, Masvidal did so a minute into the second as he pummeled the nonetheless dazed Cowboy. Thus making him the primary man to cease Cerrone with strikes to the pinnacle.
In an tried rebound, Cerrone fought the lately dethroned welterweight champion, Robbie Lawler. Unable to edge out the choice, Cerrone took a unanimous determination loss. It was the primary shedding streak of his profession. Going into the Masvidal battle he was 32-7 with no again to again losses in these complete 39 fights.
#10 Cerrone has fought 11 occasions since McGregor gained the light-weight title
In November 2016 at UFC 205, Conor McGregor made historical past by turning into the primary fighter to carry two UFC titles on the identical time. He did so by defeating light-weight champion Eddie Alvarez on that fateful evening in Madison Sq. Backyard.
Nevertheless, since then McGregor has been stripped of each of his titles and has solely fought as soon as which was when he was submitted within the fourth spherical of his title battle towards Khabib Nurmagomedov. As for Cerrone, however, it has been a completely totally different story.
Cerrone fought the month after McGregor’s massive title win and since then has gone on to battle a complete of 11 occasions since McGregor defeated Alvarez. The craziest factor about that’s most likely the truth that McGregor has 11 fights in his UFC profession in complete. We all the time know who the extra lively fighter goes into Donald Cerrone fights nevertheless it actually stands out for this subsequent one.
