'It's done': UFC on ESPN+ 9's Donald Cerrone no longer chasing Conor McGregor
OTTAWA, Ontario – After four months and a few tweets, Donald Cerrone is declaring his campaign to fight Conor McGregor dead.
“The chase is over,” he told MMA Junkie. “It’s done.”
The perennial lightweight and welterweight standout’s next mission is Al Iaquinta (14-4-1 MMA, 9-3 UFC), a fight he agreed to before McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) announced a dubious retirement.
Cerrone (35-11 MMA, 22-8 UFC) said a potential date with the Irish star moved from April to July to unknown. He simply got tired of waiting and decided to make some cash.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to wait,'” he said. “‘Let’s go.'”
An ESPN+ headliner at Canadian Tire Centre will have to serve as the proving ground for a title shot. Champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champ Dustin Poirier are queued up for UFC 242 in September.
Iaquinta took Nurmagomedov the distance and dominated Kevin Lee a second time this past December. When he couldn’t get a fight, Cerrone stepped into the breach.
“The dude’s like Homer Simpson – just tough, tough, tough,” said Cerrone, who today weighed in eight pounds shy of the 156-pound limit.
If history is any indication, McGregor could suddenly resurface to make another comeback. Cerrone wouldn’t be opposed to a fight down the line – there would be much cash to make. But he’s not waiting any more.
“Who knows, man,” he said. “I’ll take it if it does, of course. If not, we’ll take whoever’s next. I love my job. I love fighting.”
To hear more from Cerrone, check out the video above.
And for more on UFC on ESPN+ 9, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.