Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is about to fight Jamie Varner for the WEC lightweight championship, but many MMA fans still don’t seem to know who he is.
Perhaps if he hadn’t been spotlighted on the Versus Network’s “Tapout” series, even fewer people would know who he is. For those in the dark about one of the best fighters the WEC has to offer, he is all you need to know:
Cerrone was an undefeated muay thai kickboxer before making the transition to mixed martial arts competition.
His professional MMA record is 8-1. The one loss was a win that he actual earned, but was stripped when his urine test came back positive for a diuretic. According to Cerrone, the diuretic was used when he was fighting a staph infection.
Despite being a vicious kickboxer, seven of Cerrone’s eight wins are via submission, with the eighth win coming via unanimous decision over world-class kickboxer and former WEC lightweight champ “Razor” Rob McCullough.
That’s really all you need to know. Watching Cerrone’s fights is a treat in itself. His composure is that of a seasoned veteran. His transition from being a stand-up fighter to being a mixed martial artist was very smooth, especially when you take his dangerous submission game into account.
Fighting from his back Cerrone has shown one of the most impressive examples of transitioning from arm bar to triangle to arm bar that has been seen inside any cage.
Now he has a shot at the title against the always dangerous Jamie Varner. This couldn’t look like a better fight on paper. Both fighters are explosive. Varner has shown his stand-up prowess with a KO win over McCullough. Now he will have to face another stand-up talent in Cerrone. However, Varner didn’t have to worry about submissions against McCullough.
Cerrone has a lot of options, which makes him even more dangerous. He is along side Miguel Torres and Carlos Conduit as one of the most complete fighters in the WEC and a win over Varner might solidify his as second only to Torres in many fans eyes.
Cerrone can finish this fight anywhere, and seems to be level-headed and calm enough not to get impetuous inside the cage. He has everything to gain and little to lose at this early point in his career. He is not one to rush out and make poor judgements inside the cage and will present and clear and present danger to any fight, let alone a champion the likes of Varner.
Look for Cerrone to finish this fight in the second or third round via submission.
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