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Donald Cowboy Cerrone is a genuine UFC legend, but following his knockout loss at the hands of journeyman Alex Morono, it’s clear his UFC career is coming to an end.
UFC president Dana White has stated that he’s willing to give Donald Cowboy Cerrone one last fight in the octagon – so who should it be against?
Thanks to Cerrone’s willingness to fight at both 155lbs and 170lbs, there is no shortage of options for him.
So with that in mind, here are five potential opponents for Donald Cowboy Cerrone’s final UFC fight.
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#1 Joe Lauzon (UFC record: 15-12)
Like Donald Cerrone, longtime UFC veteran Joe Lauzon has been a post-fight bonus machine during his career with the promotion.
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A part of the UFC roster since 2006, Lauzon’s record of 15-12 isn’t the greatest that a fighter could boast. However, he’s fought a who’s who of the 155lbs division, from Anthony Pettis and Clay Guida to Jim Miller and Kenny Florian.
More to the point, he currently ranks in second place for the most post-fight bonus awards in UFC history with 15. The only fighter to earn more than him? Donald Cerrone, of course.
In all honesty, given both men’s penchant for putting on wildly exciting fights, it’s hard to believe the UFC haven’t matched them up before.
But to be honest, now might actually be the perfect time to do it. Both men are reaching the end of their storied careers, and neither is capable of the brilliance they had in their youth.
So why not put them together and make it the final fight for both of them? Based on what they’ve produced in the UFC before, fireworks could well ensue.
#2 Khamzat Chimaev (UFC record: 3-0)
Donald Cerrone is undoubtedly a favorite with the UFC brass, but it’s still very rare for the promotion to give a fighter a softball match on their way down the ladder.
Instead – almost like the tradition in pro-wrestling – the UFC usually prefers to have an aging, outgoing fighter “put over” a rising star on their way out.
And in the welterweight division, there’s no faster-rising star than Khamzat Chimaev.
The native of Chechnya smashed three opponents in 2020 to make himself one of the most talked-about UFC prospects in years.
But after suffering a bad case of COVID-19, he perhaps needs to be broken back into action with a lesser opponent.
Cerrone certainly wouldn’t be a lesser opponent from a name-value standpoint. In fact, he’d easily stand as the biggest win of Chimaev’s young career.
But Borz would definitely be favored heavily here in a fight that’d obviously be designed to give him that big star-making win.
Would it be harsh to Cowboy for the UFC to book this? Yes, but there wouldn’t be a much better story to tell than the aging gunslinger looking for one last great performance against a young lion like Chimaev, either.
#3 Clay Guida (UFC record: 16-14)
Another fighter who’s been part of the UFC roster for well over a decade, Clay Guida debuted in the octagon back in 2006 and has put together a record of 16-14 in the years that have followed.
Like Donald Cerrone, Guida has never tasted UFC gold. In fact, he’s never had a title shot – but he’s still one of the most recognizable lightweights on the roster thanks to a string of legendary fights.
And with fights with everyone from BJ Penn and Charles Oliveira to Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos under his belt, it’s a wonder he’s not already fought, Cerrone.
He hasn’t, though – probably thanks to his one-time relationship with Cerrone’s former training camp at Greg Jackson’s gym in Albuquerque.
And so, like Joe Lauzon, that makes him the perfect final opponent for Cowboy.
Guida is coming off a win over Michael Johnson, but like Cerrone, he’s way past his prime and is probably coming towards the end of his career.
More to the point, he’s another post-fight bonus machine, having won nine awards over the years for his largely exciting style.
A fight between the Carpenter and the Cowboy could easily stand as both men’s final hurrah with the UFC, and so it’d make sense to book it.
#4 Nick Diaz (UFC record: 7-6-1)
While he came out on the wrong end of the judges’ decision, Donald Cerrone’s fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 141 is still one of his most fondly-remembered wars.
That’s why a fight with Nate’s older brother Nick could make sense for Cowboy’s last hurrah in the UFC.
Nick Diaz hasn’t fought in the UFC in a long time. In fact, his last octagon appearance was his loss to Anderson Silva back in January 2015, meaning he’s been gone for well over six years now.
However, UFC president Dana White has stated that he’s open to a comeback, and judging by recent photos of him, he’s still in excellent shape.
But it’d probably be harsh to throw Diaz in with the upper echelon of the welterweight division, so why not match him with a fading veteran like Cerrone?
The story would write itself. Could Diaz repeat his brother’s victory against the Cowboy? Or could Cerrone go out on top with some semblance of revenge over the Stockton-based brothers?
And given that both men would likely be happy to trade off wherever the fight went, this would definitely be a clash worth watching.
#5 Carlos Condit (UFC record: 9-10)
Another fighter who likely crossed paths with Donald Cerrone in sparring sessions at the Jackson-Winkeljohn camp is Carlos Condit.
The two fighters have naturally never faced off inside the octagon, but with neither now training together, could now be the time to book a fight between the two?
It could definitely make sense.
Like Cerrone, Condit is past his prime and nearing the end of his UFC career, despite pulling off two wins in a row in the past year.
And given that the Natural Born Killer has a reputation for putting on exciting fights – he’s won seven post-fight bonuses in the UFC – then this could be the perfect firefight for Cowboy to exit the UFC with.
With both men not as durable as they once were, it’s safe to say that the likelihood of this one reaching the scorecards would be low – meaning that it’d be an excellent fight for the UFC to book.
