LAS VEGAS – Donald Cerrone has been trying his best to reach the magical number of 50 fights across his WEC/UFC career, and despite a few recent bookings falling through at the final hour in recent months, hopes he can come one step closer at International Fight Week.
Cerrone (36-16 MMA, 23-13 UFC) made it to fight week twice to face Joe Lauzon in recent months. At UFC 274 and UFC on ESPN 37, both men made it to the scale to record their official weight, but on neither occasion did the fight actually take place.
It’s not exactly surprising that Cerrone would be ready to try to fight again just a couple of weeks later, despite back-to-back weight cuts to lightweight. Cerrone is ready to take on a familiar face at UFC 276 in Jim Miller, but this time, he’ll have a few extra pounds to spare for the rematch nearly eight years in the making.
“It’s funny, after the Joe thing two weeks ago, Dana (White) was like, ‘Nah, go have the weekend, enjoy the Fourth (of July) with the family,’” Cerrone told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “So, I go to the lake, start building a house, drinking a bunch of beer and eating barbecue, and then they call me. Like, ‘Hey!’ I was like, ‘Oh, god. Well, it has to be at 70 because I’m beer-bellied up now.’ And they’re like, yeah, no problem.”
Cerrone and Miller (34-16 MMA, 23-15 UFC) first crossed paths in the main event of UFC Fight Night 45 in Atlantic City, N.J. in 2014. The first meeting took place at lightweight, and Cerrone won that fight by stoppage from a devastating head kick in the second round.
While their rematch will take place at welterweight, Cerrone doesn’t see the weight class difference being much of a factor because neither man will be cutting to hit the 171-pound limit.
“I’m just letting you know I’m not going to be big,” Cerrone said he told Miller over the phone. “I’m 168, 169, like, that’s just kind of where I float around. He’s like, ‘Yeah, same here.’… I don’t think he’s going to come in there big, neither will I.
Fighting the big 70 pounders, the guys that cut from 200 and 90, it’s tough, man. They hit hard, they’re big, and strong. We’re both just kind of 55ers. It would have been our natural weight if we would have weighed in, came back and we’d be right around the same weight we’d fight at anyway. So, I’m sure he’s stoked, and it’s just an easier week.”
Without the stress of worrying about fighting against the scale, Cerrone can focus more on the fight itself, which has the potential to add to his legacy by becoming the all-time wins leader at 24, if victorious. Regardless of the outcome, this fight will be his 48th UFC/WEC appearance, which will get him one step closer to his goal of 50.
“My plan, I want to put records where people can’t even touch,” Cerrone said. “50 fights under Zuffa, I want these young kids to be like, ‘God, man. I’m just fighting to get one or two to keep my job. He’s got 50 of ’em?’ To me, that’s cool, you know? To put statements down like that. This is huge. This is legacy fighting. That’s what it’s all about now.”
