Donald Cerrone urged to reconsider UFC return fight by Dana White: ‘I hate it’
Former lightweight title challenger, Donald Cerrone has been urged to think twice about making a planned return to mixed martial arts by UFC CEO, Dana White, who claimed he hates the idea of the Hall of Fame star fighting again in the future.
Cerrone, an inductee into the Modern Wing of the promotion’s Hall of Fame last year, is without a win since 2019, most recently succumbing to a second round guillotine choke in a rematch fight with fellow veteran, Jim Miller two years ago.
And in his most recent win, Colorado striker, Cerrone turned in a unanimous decision win over Al Iaquinta in the main event of UFC Fight Night Ottawa five years ago, as part of a three-fight winning run over both Alexander Hernandez, after a submission of Mike Perry.
And yesterday, Cerrone, who has been open regarding his steroid use since his time away from the Octagon for the past two years, revealed plans to fight at least twice more in the promotion, claiming he just needed to pass an anti-doping test in the coming months.
I want to go back [to the UFC], and get two more fights,” Donald Cerrone said in a video. “When I retired, I told you I was getting my hair done and getting on steroids. The number 50 has been sitting on my mind for a while.”
“For all you people who are like, ‘Oh, what if you get on it [performance enhancing drugs], you can’t ever come off?’ Well, I now have to come off and piss clean.”
Dana White unsure of UFC return for Donald Cerrone
However, speaking following the Contender Series overnight, UFC boss, White claimed he was not a fan of the idea of Cerrone fighting in the Octagon again in the future.
I hate it, I hate it — love him (Donald Cerrone) — hate that,” Dana White said of a potential return for Donald Cerrone. “He retired, for what? What’s left to prove? If you want to make money, let’s figure something else out. I hate it. When guys retire, they retire for a reason. They retire because they know it’s over, they know it is.”
“Not just this sport but any professional sport is hard to walk away from,” White continued. “Not just the money, that’s obviously a very hard part of it, but the feeling of walking out of that tunnel, the feeling of getting in the cage and the place is packed. …If it’s about money, then he can do something else. Because he ain’t going to fight for the rest of his life and he’s always going to need to make money. So, let’s figure that out now instead of three years from now.”