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Donald Cerrone said he did not feel it at first against Al Iaquinta, but the experience helped him overcome that bump before he won. Is the missing piece of the puzzle that prevented him from becoming champion? And does he need a gold belt to justify his career? Retired UFC and WEC fighter Danny Downes will join MFA editorialist Junkie Ben Fowlkes to discuss Trading Shots this week.
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Fowlkes: Tell the truth, Danny. Now that you see the success that Donald Cerrone has in the cage after becoming a father, are not you a little tempted to bring your own dad and give him another shot? "Cowboy" won his third consecutive victory with a unanimous victory over Al Iaquinta, but what struck me the most is Cerrone's comment after the fight:
"I told my mistakes, I felt very bad when I started this fight. I could not find it, man. In the locker room, you do not want to warm up. I did not want to prepare myself. I did not want to touch the pads. I did not want to fight. I did not want to fight before the second round. People always say I'm a slow starter and, "What Cowboy are you going to have?" And we train hard, we train so hard and we try to find ways for our opponents to beat us so that we can show and beat them on our worst day. And today was my worst day. Thank God, that's 41 fights in Zuffa that I'm here because I could simulate until you succeed. Because you simulate it long enough and you find it.
It is a dishonorable and honest victory for me on the part of the winner of the main event of the evening. This also seems to explain a lot of the particularities of Cerrone.
It is true that it has sometimes been inconsistent. It is also true that he has been criticized for his slowness, and that no one has been more direct about the psychological difficulties he faces before the fighting. But it is also true that it is a ruthless sport in this sense.
Whatever you did during the training weeks, we judge you on the basis of a few minutes on a Saturday night. You are not assured of a half time or waiting time to get in shape if things start badly. And we are not known for great sympathy if you show up later and we say you just had a bad night.
But can not anyone get a bad night without telling us all about his career? And to what extent do you think Cerrone's rich experience could balance his tendency to experience bad nights in the worst of times, especially since he's talking about the title again?
Downes: A fighter should being able to spend a bad night without telling us everything about his career, but fans, media and promoters do not forgive that.
No matter what Jose Aldo will do with the rest of his career, people will still post images of Conor McGregor's fight. Being one of the biggest opponents in the history of the UFC in terms of eliminations is different from the loss against TKO against Darren Till, but the point is still valid. This is not something that is unique to MMA either. Fans of all sports can find a way to reduce their career. Do not believe me? Just read the comments section when the NFL or the NBA announces new Hall of Hame attendees.
Cerrone's busy combat agenda is both a help and a hindrance to his legacy. On the one hand, this makes him a fan of his fans and the stench of a defeat never lasts as long. On the other hand, he fights so often that his victories seem never to stick. He has fought three times since November. Would you like to call one of them "signature" wins?
The abundance of UFC fights in general can contribute, but see the fight "Cowboy" does not have this "rarity" so much sought after by many fans. Be it Conor McGregor or Brock Lesnar, the rarity of appearances creates hype. Imagine if Nate Diaz was fighting six times a year. Would he have the same panache?
It would be nice to see Cerrone get another title. The UFC gave Michael Bisping a lifetime opportunity to win a title, and it worked very well for him. If Cerrone becomes lightweight champion, would that change your opinion of him? And if he loses in the first round again. What's going on it's boring and fighting a random guy in a few months (something that he admits possible)? Would any of these results change your opinion of the old Cowboy, or is his legacy already cemented?
Fowlkes: The Bisping example is useful, and I was thinking about it recently, when people were discussing Ronaldo Souza's place among the best middleweights of all time. I think it's quite possible to have a great career without ever winning a UFC title. I also think that you could have a cup of coffee with the belt and that it does not necessarily make you an elite fighter.
But I can not deny it, there is something in this title win that elevates someone to a higher level in our minds. Bisping could have become a good but not exalted middleweight though he had not won his title as a late substitute in a rematch with an opponent who beat him the first time . It was shocking and surprising and totally out of nowhere, but it forever changed our way of thinking about it. Same for Matt Serra, honestly.
I can understand why it would be great for Cerrone to have that, and I certainly understand why he wants it. But does he need it? I do not think he's doing it. I think he's clearly one of the greatest without it, just on statistics. It's built some kind of legacy, based on frenzied activity and voluntary risk management.
Perhaps these same qualities have, to a certain extent, prevented him from playing a title. This may be because he simply could not do everything to click on the good night. Anyway, I do not look at Cerrone and do not see a man who has to do something else to convince me that he is an excellent fighter. Do you?
Downes: Not at all. Cerrone's achievements in the sport obscure many other fighters who became champions. Which career do you prefer to have: Cerrone or Johny Hendricks? How about Cerrone or Luke Rockhold?
More than the fights themselves, Cerrone is an interesting example of how you can choose to manage your career. There is nothing particularly strategic about how / when he accepts fighting. He does not like to sit for long. Although he would be better served by sitting on the sidelines, he just can not do it.
Apart from Justin Gaethje, there are few professional fighters with the same state of mind. None wants to remain inactive for a long time. They prefer to fight and lose only to sit and wait.
This is an attitude that fans and promoters say they love until they do not like it. Dana White adores "Cowboy" until he asks for more money or a shot for the title (I guess anything related to MMAAA has not helped either).
Being the guy who will fight anytime, anywhere, has a lot of benefits. It also has a lot of disadvantages. Cerrone has managed to overcome these difficulties during an impressive 13-year career. He will never be one of the most decorated MMA fighters of all time, but you can not deny he is one of the best.
Ben Fowlkes is MMA Junkie and MMA columnist for USA TODAY. Danny Downes, a retired fighter from the UFC and WEC, is a contributor to MMA Junkie who also wrote for UFC.com and UFC 360. Follow them on Twitter at @benfowlkesMMA and @dannyboydownes.
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