Donald Cerrone has what it takes to bounce back against Niko Price at UFC Vegas 11
Donald Cerrone will take on Niko Price in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 11 in a packed card featuring the likes of Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley, young prospects like Khamzat Chimaev, Johnny Walker, Ryan Spann, and Mackenzie Dern among others.
There's a reason to believe that it is a must-win match for former Lightweight title contender Donald Cerrone. Cowboy is coming off four straight losses inside the octagon, with the most recent one coming against Anthony Pettis at UFC 249.
Donald Cerrone returned to the Welterweight division when he welcomed Conor McGregor back to the octagon at UFC 246 back in January. Cerrone lost the bout via TKO as McGregor obliterated the UFC veteran under 40 seconds of the very first round. Despite a close fight against Anthony Pettis, Cerrone fell short on the judges' scorecards, losing the fight via unanimous decision.
Niko Price has competed 11 times inside the octagon and is coming off a TKO loss against Vicente Luque. Price is a stylish fighter and could likely exploit Cerrone's slow approach inside the octagon.
Donald Cerrone likely to make a comeback at UFC Vegas 11
Despite the back to back losses, Cerrone is a favourite going into the fight. A battle-hardened veteran by all rights, Cerrone can be called the gatekeeper of both the Welterweight and the Lighweight division.
Even at 37, Cerrone continues to compete against the most prominent names in the promotion, having fought Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson, Anthony Pettis, and Conor McGregor since June of 2019. Cerrone continues to be active and boasts a solid record of 36 wins and just 15 losses in his MMA career.
Donald Cerrone still has what it takes to beat the best fighters in the UFC. However, history is testimony to the fact that Cerrone often fails to deliver when the fans most expect it. Back in December of 2015, Cerrone failed to grab the UFC Lightweight gold against Rafael dos Anjos, losing the fight via TKO in under two minutes of the very first round. This was after Cerrone's aboslutely blistering eight fight win streak with notable victories against Benson Henderson, Eddie Alvarez, Edson Barboza, and Jim Miller.
After back to back losses to Jorge Masvidal, Robbie Lawler, and Darren Till, Donald Cerrone took on the young prospects and tested their mettle for a run against the elites against Donald Cerrone. After three back to back losses, Cerrone came strong with wins four wins in his next five fights. Cerrone beat Alexander Hernandez, Mike Perry, Yancy Medeiros, and Al Iaquinta, while losing to Leon Edwards, who is currently #3 in the UFC Welterweight rankings.
While taking nothing away from Cerrone, there's a reason to believe that he fails to handle pressure of a huge money fight or a potential title fight but one thing's for sure - Donald Cerrone will look to make a spectacular comeback against Niko Price and send notice to the entire division that the Cowboy is still as deadly as ever.