Cowboy Cerrone had his head held high following a rough night at the office at UFC Vancouver.
Vancouver, B.C. —Things did not go Cowboy Cerrone’s way at UFC Vancouver. When you get finished within a round by Justin Gaethje, that goes without saying. However, head held high, son Danger in tow, Cerrone dutifully made an appearance backstage at the Rogers Arena, speaking to reporters including Cageside Press.
“He did a great job. Justin’s a stud. He’s going to do great things in this sport,” Cerrone said of his opponent, a man he considers a friend.
Cerrone could be seen exchanging words with the ref after the stoppage. Was that just the initial confusion of the finish, or was he unhappy the fight was stopped? Cerrone wouldn’t admit to being rocked, at least.
“Initial confusion? We knew exactly where we were!” Cerrone jokingly said to son Danger. Refusing to make excuses, Cerrone admitted that when it came to the stoppage, “maybe it’s better for the longevity for me and my boy here. Maybe he’d beat me retarded.”
“This sport’s so fun, I love it with everything in me,” he added. “Walking out, enjoying the crowd, enjoying everything to me is so amazing. I was telling my corners and my family, you don’t get to put your head down. You don’t get to walk around and mope. Of course someone’s going to win and someone’s going to lose.” It’s a lesson he plans on instilling in Danger. “So I’m going to teach this boy, I’m going to say if he loses something, ‘you get twenty-four hours to keep your head down, then tomorrow when you wake up, boy you’d better be smiling, ready to move on. Because we ain’t tolerating that bullsh*t.'”
Cerrone is already eager to call Dana White and find out what’s next, even acknowledging a possible medical suspension. “I would love to fight in December. I would love to fight next weekend.”
Cowboy seems to set a record every time he steps in the octagon, so is the idea forty fights? “I want fifty. Fifty’s the number I want. So I got news for my coaches and corners, there’s going to be a lot more ups and downs and sideways’s.”
As for the crowd reaction in Canada, clearly pro-Cowboy, Cerrone said that “I’ve done this a long time, and it’s really cool. A different kind of feeling when you walk out and everyone’s roaring your name, and chanting, screaming ‘Cowboy, Cowboy!’ I hope they continue to do that, because I’m going to keep fighting until they stop.”
“It’s like fighting at home here in Canada. It’s cool, other than the taxes you guys take, that kind of sucks.”
Asked if it felt better, passing the torch to a friend like Gaethje, Cerrone admitted it did, but added “I don’t feel like I”m passing the torch yet.”
Watch the full UFC Vancouver (UFC Fight Night 158) post-fight press scrum with Donald Cerrone above!
