UFC Hall of Famer Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone has announced plans to return to completion for two more fights. Cerrone retired in 2022 after his loss to Jim Miller at UFC 276 but has apparently gotten the itch and wants to come back.
“I want to go back and get two more fights. I retired, I told you I was gonna get my hair done and getting on steroids,” Cerrone said in a video on his Instagram.
“The number 50 has been sitting in my mind for a while. Working with transcend the last two years, taking TRT and a bunch of peptides now we’ve got a protocol for all you people that say, ‘Oh what if you get on it, you can’t ever come off?’ well, I now have to come off and p— clean," he said. "Fight in a few months, so watch this."
Here are three potential fights we think could welcome Cerrone back to the UFC.
1. Tony Ferguson
Fans have been calling for Tony Ferguson's retirement for years. He's dropped his last eight appearances and hasn't won a fight since (checks notes) 2019. That win came via a doctor stoppage after his opponent, Cerrone, blew his nose between rounds and his eyes swelled shut. This was a fight we wanted to see again immediately and just makes the most sense for both fighters at this stage of their careers.
2. Rafael dos Anjos
Another legend likely ending his career soon is former UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos. They have fought twice before (once in MMA, the other in grappling) and they are 1-1. This could be a tie-breaker fight and exciting for the fans. It holds enough name recognition to be exciting for even casual fans too.
3. Jim Miller
What I don't want to see in Cerrone's return is a fight versus some young up-and-comer. Jim Miller was the last fight Cerrone did before retiring and avenging that loss could be good motivation for Cerrone. Perhaps Miller might even use Cerrone as his retirement fight and that might be the first time in history that two fighters retired each other in separate fights.