After a huge win in front of his hometown crowd in Denver against Mike Perry, Donald Cerrone reiterated his plans to move back down to 155 pounds. “Cowboy,” however, did not have an opponent name in mind, but did express intentions to come after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s title.
Cerrone is still a big-named fighter, which warrants him a marquee name to face next, and Chael Sonnen actually has some ideas for a possible matchup.
“There is something to a Donald Cerrone-Conor McGregor fight that makes a lot more sense than maybe a lot of people put together,” Sonnen said on a recent video he uploaded.
According to the former UFC title contender, there is enough history between Cerrone and McGregor to make an angle that would sell to the fans.
“There is a back-and-forth between Donald Cerrone and Conor McGregor that’s on video,” Sonnen pointed out. “That’s very relevant for promotion. Donald Cerrone vs. McGregor does work.”
“That fight sells. That fight works. That’s the kind of fight I think stylistically that Conor’s gonna look at and go ‘Yeah, I would take that.’ For sure, Cowboy’s gonna look at that and take that.”
McGregor is still on indefinite suspension for the UFC 229 post-fight brawl, awaiting his fate which will be decided upon during the Nevada Athletic Commission meeting on December 10th. Given all these circumstances, Sonnen sees this matchup as the fight to make, while Khabib goes on with his long overdue fight against Tony Ferguson.
“I think if you’re looking at the Conor McGregor sweepstakes that is constantly going on, and yeah, he’s suspended right now and he’s got to get through Nevada,” Sonnen said. “But I do not believe that there is an immediate path to Conor McGregor and Khabib (rematch). I really think it’s gonna go Khabib-Tony.
“While (Nate) Diaz is certainly an option, while waiting is certainly an option, I think, based on what we have seen, based on the records, based on the promotion, based on the interviews, based on the notoriety of Cowboy, I think that’s probably the most likely scenario.”
Cerrone has since hinted on Instagram that he’s agreed to fight Conor McGregor, and is waiting for him.
The last time Cerrone fought at 155 pounds was in December 2015, in a title fight against then-champion Rafael dos Anjos. He lost via first-round TKO.