Over two years after laying his gloves down at the center of the Octagon, Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone is coming out of retirement to pursue all-time status in the UFC.
In July 2022, Cerrone retired with a 36-17 record and 48 combined appearances in the UFC and WEC, dating back to 2007. His exit from the sport came amid a six-fight skid culminating in a submission loss to fellow veteran Jim Miller.
On Tuesday, the 41-year-old fan favorite announced his plan to make two more walks to the cage to hit the 50-fight mark under Zuffa.
‘I want to go back and get two more fights,’ Cerrone said in a video posted on his Instagram. ‘When I retired, I told you I was getting my hair done and [I’d] get on steroids.
‘The No. 50 [Zuffa] has been sitting on my mind for a while. So, I’ve been working with Transcend for the last two years, taking [testosterone-replacement therapy] and a bunch of peptides.’
UFC legend Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone plans to return over two years after retiring from MMA
Cerrone will presumably be required to reenter the UFC’s anti-drug program for a mandatory amount of time. However, the UFC can waive the condition in special circumstances.
‘Now, we’ve got a protocol for all you people that [say], ‘Oh, what if you get on it, you can’t ever come off it.’ Well, I now have to come off and piss clean, and fight in a few months. Watch this,’ Cerrone said.
Fighting out of his home gym, BMF Ranch, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Cowboy is one of the most popular and beloved fighters in MMA history. He is tied for second in all-time UFC wins at 23 and third in appearances with 38.
Miller holds the record in each category with 26 victories in 44 appearances. A-10 is also 1-1 against Cerrone – losing via round 2 knockout in 2014 before tying the score in 2022.
Cerrone has fought the likes of Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Nate Diaz, and Eddie Alvarez
Ceronne retired after losing to Jim Miller in 2022, just two fights shy of 50 UFC appearances
Although Cerrone mentioned the 50 bouts specifically, he is not capping his goals with the times he set foot in the cage. In his caption, Cerrone wrote: ‘Most wins in UFC history, most finishes, most bonuses, most walks to that cage.’
His legendary career includes fights against Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson, Leon Edwards, Robbie Lawler, Jorge Masvidal, and Nate Diaz. Cerrone also boasts wins over Charles Oliveira, Eddie Alvarez, Matt Brown, and Edson Barbosa.
Cowboy fought for WEC gold three times between 2009 and 2010. He fought for the UFC lightweight title in December 2015 but lost to Rafael Dos Anjos in Round 1.
Cerrone holds 10 knockout victories and an impressive 17 submission wins. He is tied third for the most finishes in UFC history with 16.
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