Cowboy Cerrone has a chance to take sole possession of the promotional win record at UFC Denver — and he teased that Mike Perry will become part of his highlight reel in the process.
Denver, CO — Donald Cerrone is a fan favorite where ever he goes. He’s most certainly going to have the crowd in his corner at UFC Denver, given he grew up in the city. Taking on the tough, rough around the edges ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry, Cowboy Cerrone has the chance to make history at the event. Cowboy enters the night with twenty wins in the UFC, tied with Georges St. Pierre and Michael Bisping. One more win, and he takes sole possession of the record.
At Wednesday’s open workouts ahead of Saturday’s big night, Cerrone skipped the actual workout portion. Just don’t read too much into it. “It’s been a long day of media. Just being lazy, just being lazy, that’s all. Nothing into it,” Cerrone told media members including Cageside Press. Then, with a sly grin, added “you can, you can read into it, maybe.”
Whether it’s because he went too hard and is still hurting, or just didn’t feel like it, Cerrone is certain of one thing. “Saturday night we’re going to blow the roof off this place,” he said. “There’s no doubt my man Perry is coming, heavy hitting, trying to take me out early. So it’s going to be the fight everyone wants to see.”
“Come with the same energy on Saturday night. Cool. Then he can look up on the monitor and see the highlight reel, and then he can be part of that too.”
Expect fireworks. Neither man is one who likes to back down in a fight. Fans know that, and they have high expectations. Cerrone wants to live up to them. “I’d feel criminal if I didn’t get out and oblige everyone’s demands to stand and fight with him,” he said of his approach to Perry. “So I plan on doing that. Getting me a bonus, getting me the most fights in UFC history, most wins in UFC history, most walks in UFC history. That’s cool.”
Asked about Perry’s trash talking (earlier, Perry had boasted about crushing Cowboy’s skull), Cerrone answered that “I like that talk. That’s good. Come with the same energy on Saturday night. Cool. Then he can look up on the monitor and see the highlight reel, and then he can be part of that too.”
Not too long ago, Cerrone found himself embroiled in a little dispute with Jackson-Wink MMA, where he frequently trains. In fact, it was Cerrone who brought the subject up on an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience. Perry has been on the periphery of it all, but was never the subject of Cerrone’s ire. That was Mike Winkeljohn.
He doesn’t regret airing his grievances, which included harsh criticism of how Wnikeljohn was running the gym. “I don’t regret anything ever. I should watch my mouth more, but I don’t regret saying it,” Cerrone said. “It needs to be out. It needs to be publicized. Greg Jackson is a solid dude, man. He’s a friend of mine, he’s coming up to watch the fight, he’ll be here.”
However, he won’t be in Cerrone’s corner. “I didn’t work with Greg because it’s not fair to Perry,” Cerrone explained. “First of all, Perry has nothing to do with what’s going on in the gym. He’s just a guy looking for a home, and he was looking to find one. Whatever he’s saying about anything else is him hyping this fight up. But he needed a home. What went on with me and Winkeljohn has nothing to do with Perry. So none of this horsesh*t is any energy towards him.”
That extends to not working with Jackson for this fight. “For Greg to train Perry at the gym and then come and back door and tell me what they’re working on, that’s not fair to anybody. By no means am I going to take a fight [like that], or have like a secret weapon, I’m a stand up guy, f*ck that,” he finished.
UFC Fight Night 139 (UFC Denver) takes place Saturday, November 10 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The card airs on FOX Sports 1.
