MMA Legend Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone Retires at UFC 276

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(Edited)

A huge part of the UFC for so many years has just called it a career.

After a tough loss this evening to Jim Miller, Donald Cerrone ends his 16 year MMA career, 11 of which were spent with the UFC.

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Cerrone is mostly a universally loved figure in MMA. He was a fighter the UFC could lean on to show up and perform time and time again. Simply historically active.

In addition to his high activity rate as a pro fighter, Cerrone was a lock to show up and treat fans. The dude just loved to throw down and swing his limbs violently.

Donald's career reminds me a lot of former NFL quarterback Brett Favre's career, except for Cerrone, he never quite reached the status of being the Champ. Both Favre and Cerrone had great first halves of their careers, followed by inconsistent second halves. Cerrone went 4-10 and one no contest in his last fifteen fights dating back to 2017.

Still, Cerrone in his prime was EXCELLENT. I wish I had been a bigger fan of the UFC while he was in his prime. How excellent was Cerrone exactly?

Before his underwhelming final years as a pro MMA fighter, Cerrone was snatching souls often. Stacking wins.

Cerrone won his very first fight back on February 11th, 2006 and would go on to start his MMA career 9-0 before suffering his first loss on January 25, 2009. It took him nearly three years to suffer a loss in MMA.

Then, starting on September 30th, 2010 Cerrone would enter his prime and go on a historically great rampage that would last over six years. I mean really, when you consider the caliber of talent he faced combined with his sheer absurd activity, I'm not sure we may ever see another run like this. We may never see another fighter like Cowboy, period. It's a shame he never tasted a championship after all his success.

So, starting in September of 2010, all the way until December of 2016, Cerrone would go 21-4!!!! Including win streaks of 8, 6, and 4. His only losses during that time were against Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis, and Rafael Dos Anjos twice. Donald fought practically four times a year during that time!

Some say Donald took too long to retire, but that's easy for us fans to say. When you have had the great success Donald has had, I imagine it must be hard to walk away. Similar to what Brett Favre faced when he couldn't decide when to retire towards the end of his NFL career.

Donald may have never won a championship, but he has had a one of a kind career that is arguably better than that of some fighters who've actually tasted gold. Plus, he has some wins over some former champs on his record anyway.

Notable Donald Cerrone Wins include:

  • James Krause
  • Charles Oliveira - Former UFC Lightweight Champ/Basically still is the Champ
  • Jeremy Stephens
  • Edson Barboza
  • Jim Miller
  • Eddie Alvarez - Former UFC Lightweight Champion
  • Benson Henderson
  • Matt Brown
  • Al Iaquinta

There are a lot of other solid wins by Cerrone too, but there are thirty-seven of them, hard to decide which are most noteworthy.

Not to mention the fact that the majority of his losses are against top competition.

I wonder of his insane activity helped contribute to his losses later in his career. Just simply an insane amount of tape on the guy.

But yeah, I could go on and on about the legend that is Donald Cerrone. I'm afraid that it will probably take a book to cover it all.

Cerrone is a go hard or go home, passionate guy. Some people like to say he got maybe overly active, overly punch drunk, or whatever. In my opinion his career is one of the more honorable and badass ones ever.

Cerrone was absurdly active practically to the very end. He left zero doubt for not only himself, but everyone else, that his career was done.

Perhaps he should have retired a bit early, I guess it's debatable. But it is probably such a great feeling for Cerrone to know that he gave it his all. Literally. After all the hard battles and losses, Cerrone truly KNOWS that this chapter of his life is done. So many athletes and fighters are scared to not 'go out on top', but Cowboy never seemed to care. He just loved to fight for a living.

Cerrone is not gonna be the old man wondering if he retired too early. This man squeezed out every last fight that his body could give him.

It just feels right that Donald Cerrone went out fighting. The Cowboy way.










Apparently, Cowboy is gonna be starring in some movies in the future?

I wish nothing but the best for this guy! Seems like a nice guy overall.

Thanks for being a legend Cowboy! The UFC would absolutely not be the same without ya.

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5 comments
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Cerrone was a consistently entertaining fighter and I can't think of a single match of his that I would categorize as boring. He brings the heat, even if it results in him getting laid out. I do think that this retirement was long overdue and I am happy that he finally made it. I didn't want to see him go down the path that so many legends have already traveled. One of letting Dana and Co. use them as a punching bag for up-and-comers, destroying their legacy in the meantime. I think everyone likes Cowboy and him putting his gloves and hat in the middle of the ring after his latest loss was the correct thing for him to do. I wonder if he would have done the same even if he had won.

I'm gonna be a movie star! lol

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Yessir! Love your comment and I appreciate it! Yeah I see where you are coming from, his retirement surely was overdue. Waiting so long may have been ill advised but hell, people do a lot of unhealthy things maybe too long. I just respect that he made his own choice, glad he finally saw the light I guess, if that makes sense. He's Cowboy, he can make money in many ways at this point!

Yeah man, seeing his hat, and seeing him hold his sons was a really pleasant sight!

I sure hope he becomes a movie star! He can play himself in his own movie. Kinda like Eminem but for MMA! LOL.

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I sure hope he becomes a movie star! He can play himself in his own movie. Kinda like Eminem but for MMA!

This is actually a really good idea. It could be set in the same tone that The Wrestler was for Mickey Rourke. It could be a real reflection about the downsides of MMA and how a lot of these aging fighters face financial ruin if they don't keep fighting. I'd watch that.

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Dangggggg man! I agree! You make a good point with the Wrestler! I watched that years ago, it was good. Yeah, I can picture the glory and adrenaline rush of Donald getting his hand raised, followed by the walk out to the locker room where reality hits and all sorts or pressures and obligations and consequences are faced. Excellent! That could take both Donald's career and MMA to the next level. It would have nothing on Never Back Down hahaha, I do like that one though too.

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