UFC: ‘Cowboy’ Hasn’t Forgotten About Sanchez Talking S*** About Him
While the UFC hasn’t made an official announcement yet, Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and Diego Sanchez have verbally agreed to fight on the UFC’s May 8th card.
Cerrone is without a win in his last five fights, and is coming off a majority draw against Niko Price at UFC Vegas 11. Although it was later ruled to a no contest after ‘The Hybrid’ tested positive for marijuana. While ‘Cowboy’ wants to make one final run in the lightweight division, he is willing to move up to welterweight again to fight his former teammate, Sanchez.
Fighting Sanchez
Speaking on his YouTube channel (as transcribed by MMA Fighting), ‘Cowboy’ said that he has verbally agreed to fight Sanchez at welterweight, but revealed that he won’t be putting on any additional muscle for it.
“Everyone was booked up,” Cerrone said. “All the fights were booked. Yeah, ‘55 is what I wanted to do. Then Diego Sanchez went and, I guess, showed up to the UFC and begged and pleaded with them to make me his retirement fight. So they called me and they asked me and I said, ‘Sure.’
“With this fight, yeah, it is at ‘70 but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get big. I’m gonna treat it like a ‘55 fight. I’m gonna try and walk in there at ‘70- or 168. Try and be on weight, fight at ‘70 and just be ready for moving my body down to 155. That’s the plan.”
Past Differences
Sanchez and ‘Cowboy’ previously trained together at Jackson Wink MMA, until the latter left the gym in 2018 over differences with Mike Winkeljohn. ‘The Nightmare’ was one of the most vocal critics of Cerrone opting to part ways with the gym, but he too ended up leaving under negative circumstances a year later.
While the season one TUF winner may have buried the hatchet on his end, ‘Cowboy’ hasn’t forgotten Sanchez’s comments.
“He says it’s two legends going at it. I don’t think so,” Cerrone objected. “He talked a lot s*** when I left Jackson’s and now he did the same thing and left. It’s funny. I was just doing what I had to do. Built my own gym, trained my own people, starting making this mould which I think was the right move to do in my career and he had a lot to say about it. He said he wanted to fight me so here’s his chance. Be careful what you wish for. So yeah, this should be a fun highlight reel fight for me.”
Ride Into The Sunset
Sanchez has lost two of his last three fights, with his sole win coming by the way of disqualification against Michel Pereira at UFC Rio Rancho. The 39-year-old has previously said that his next fight will be his last, and ‘Cowboy’ says he’s happy to see him off.
“I’m not overlooking the kid, by no means,” Cerrone said. “There’s areas where he could be dangerous and if I was fighting old Diego, ten years ago, yeah, he was tough. Hard pace. I used to train with the guy, I know. He wants this to be his ride into the sunset, and I have no problem giving it to him.”
Who do you think wins the fight between ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and Diego Sanchez?
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