UFC: Donald Cerrone sees ‘end of the tunnel’ coming in MMA career ‘and it sucks’
- ‘I’ve probably realistically got a couple of years and that’s pushing it,’ says ‘Cowboy’
- ‘I’m getting old. I can feel it training. I can’t keep up with these young cats any more’
Donald Cerrone is on a three-fight losing skid and just came off the worst beating of his career in his most high-profile fight. But that isn’t stopping him – and what more would you expect of “Cowboy”?
The veteran 37-year-old Cerrone (36-14, one no contest) has a resume that reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the UFC lightweight and welterweight divisions, capped by that 40-second TKO by Conor McGregor in January. That came after back-to-back defeats by Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje – no shame, given the two after fighting for the interim 155-pound title at UFC 249 on May 9. But the TKO losses essentially ended his title dreams.
Cerrone will fight former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis on next weekend’s card at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, and he admitted it could be the beginning of a farewell tour.
“I can see the end of the tunnel, it sucks,” he told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. “I’m getting old. I can feel it training, I can feel it moving. I can’t keep up with these young cats any more.
“I don’t know, I wanna say a couple more years I’ve got? Honestly, I’m not talking about retirement now, but I used to be able to see it way down there.