The majority of talk in the wake of UFC 202 surrounds the five-round war between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor. This is true, even though the other four fights on the main card ended in spectacular knockouts. One of which came by the hand of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. His finishing of perennial contender Rick “The Horror” Story in round two was nothing short of a masterpiece combination.
Cowboy Donald Cerrone in Limbo
Cowboy finds himself in an odd state of limbo after taking out the number nine ranked welterweight (according to UFC.com). He has finished all three of his opponents in this weight class; yet Cerrone still remains the number six ranked lightweight on the roster. This leaves the fan-favorite fighter in a 15-pound purgatory. An eight-fight win streak at lightweight was sandwiched between losses to former champion Rafael Dos Anjos. However, he does boast a win over current champ Eddie Alvarez.
So what is the path of least resistance to the gold that has eluded Cowboy his entire career? Can he claim a title shot in the stacked lightweight division due to his success at a higher weight? Can he leverage his victory over the current champ? The answer is very likely a resounding “no”. UFC president Dana White has said that he believes Cerrone should stay at welterweight. This seems to be consensus amongst fans as well.
The Future of the Lightweight Belt
With a bit of foresight, it seems that the future of the lightweight division is in the hands of the “Notorious” or “Nostradamus” Conor McGregor. If he has it his way, which he often does, Conor plans to challenge Alvarez for the lightweight strap. If he wins he would defend it in a trilogy against Nate Diaz (perhaps at UFC 209, much to the delight of Stockton-ites). Even if that doesn’t happen, it’s hard to deny other contenders in line at lightweight who rank above Cerrone – Tony Ferguson, Khabib Nurmagomedov and former champ Dos Anjos.
Welterweight Options
As for welterweight, where Dana White sees Cowboy fitting best at this stage in his career, there are a few interesting match-ups that may not land Cowboy on a direct path to a title shot but are enticing nonetheless. The name that makes the most sense is Kelvin Gastelum. He is fresh off a one-sided beating of (what’s left of) Johny Hendricks. Gastelum would be a tailor-made fight for Cowboy; he’s a wrestler with powerful striking. For most, this is a dangerous combination, but if Gastelum were to get frustrated on the feet with the undefeated kick boxer Cerrone, taking him down is equally dangerous.
Another possibility for Cerrone would be to fight Demian Maia win or lose after his fight with Cowboy’s teammate Carlos Condit at UFC on August 27 at UFC on Fox 21 in Vancouver, Canada. This fight would propel Cowboy the quickest up the ladder at welterweight. It would be favorable for him as long as the fight remains standing. Some other fun scraps for Cowboy at welterweight would be similar-styled Matt Brown, Rory MacDonald if he re-signs with the UFC and is able to keep his nose in one piece and former champ Robbie Lawler. This fight would not benefit Lawler at all, but it would definitely benefit fans and could easily headline a pay-per-view.
All things considered, it’s hard to predict what’s next for Cowboy. But one thing is certain – if a fight calls his name in the near future, Cowboy will answer. His willingness to fight anyone at any weight, time or place is what keeps him near the top of pound-for-pound fan favorites and whatever is next for Cerrone, people will surely tune-in.
Main Photo:
ORLANDO, FL – APRIL 17: Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone interacts with media during the FOX UFC Saturday pre-fight press conference at Shaquille O’Neal’s estate on April 17, 2014 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
