Donald Cerrone has fought at welterweight since the beginning of 2016 and has looked very impressive thus far. He recently improved his record in the new weight class to 3-0 at UFC 202 with a stoppage over Rick Story.
But he has his eyes on the UFC lightweight title, which is currently held by ex-opponent Eddie Alvarez. Cerrone defeated Alvarez in the current champ’s UFC debut at UFC 178 two years ago by unanimous decision.
Cerrone has an easier time making weight at welterweight but is willing to return to 155 pounds if UFC gold would be on the line.
“I gotta think I gotta go to 155,” Cerrone said in his UFC 202 post-fight interview. “I think Eddie Alvarez got something that belongs to me. Let’s go. Madison Square Garden. Me and Eddie. How about that?”
Cerrone, who’s now a free agent, has always been open to fighting anyone — that’s what he’s known for. But “Cowboy” is purposely changing things up by calling out Alvarez because that’s what the UFC wants, according to him.
“Normally, I’d just say I’ll take anyone, anywhere – I don’t care who I fight,” Cerrone added in his post-fight scrum (which can be watched above). “Then they always tell us, ‘If you want a f-cking fight, let us hear about it.’ So goddamn it, here we go. I’m letting someone hear about it. I think it was my 32nd walk at Zuffa. F-ck, it’s time. Let’s start making some calls and making some moves.”
Interestingly enough, Cerrone’s team at Jackson-Wink MMA, including Greg Jackson, prefers that he remains at 170 pounds. But he also clarified that his coaches will always be completely on board no matter which weight class he chooses to compete in.
“My coaches really love 170 because I get to eat and hangout,” he said in his backstage interview. “My coaches get mad at me because usually I just call. The next call they’re gonna get is, ‘Eddie in New York.’ And they’re gonna be like, ‘Goddamnit Cowboy — alright.’
“Greg sat down with me for about a 15-minute conversation. He said, ‘Cowboy, I’m with you in the trenches wherever you wanna go. But I just don’t think 155 is a smart move for you, man. You’re f-cking hurting your body going that low.’ So yeah, they’re already on it, but they’re like, ‘But we know you’re gonna f-cking do it, so let’s get prepared.'”
UFC president Dana White appears to have other plans for the top contender, however. He recently stated that he hopes that Cerrone remains at welterweight.
“I don’t like 155. He looked amazing at 170,” White told FOX Sports 1 after the event (transcription via MMAFighting.com). “He’s on a roll. Nobody does that to Story, what he did to him tonight. Cowboy looks good at 170 and I’d like to see him stay there.”
The lightweight title picture is quite interesting right now because Conor McGregor could very well easily receive a title shot after his win over Nate Diaz in the UFC 202 main event. A fight with “The Notorious” is something Alvarez badly wants. But Khabib Nurmagomedov is right at the top of 155 pounds, as well. He recently claimed that Alvarez turned down a fight with him twice.
Cerrone became the first man to finish Story with strikes during the pay-per-view portion of UFC 202, which took place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Aug. 20 and was headlined by Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor II.
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