In terms of the famous poem by Robert Frost, the current UFC lightweight contender is a firm subscriber to taking the path less traveled by. His reasons for doing so are not to be adverse by nature, or his eagerness to seek out additional resistance, but more along the lines that whichever route Cowboy's heart and mind settle on traversing is always going to be the direction he heads.
It's simply the way the hard-charging Albuquerque transplant is wired, and following his natural tendencies have carried him to become one of the most popular fighters in a highly competitive sport. Furthermore, MMA is also a realm where true originals are hard to come by, and Donald Cerrone is nothing if not a one of a kind where the mold he came from was shattered long ago.
When Cerrone's name is on the fight card there is a guaranteed show on the way, and his willingness to scrap it out with anyone at anytime has become his legitimate calling card. Yet, somewhere along the lines his love for throwing down not only turned into a lucrative business, but also drove him to coveted ranks of being a title contender in the shark tank that is the UFC's lightweight division.
He does things his way because it's the only way he knows how to do it. And judging from the success he's amassed in and out of the cage, Cerrone's methods are working out just fine for him. Competing at the highest level of mixed martial arts is a required grind, but he'll be damned if he's not going to take time to enjoy the fruits of what his hard work have brought him.
The 32-year-old Colorado native is a man who will push the limits of nature at every turn, and at the same time is a skilled and technical martial artist who looks to do the same against another man inside of a locked cage. In regard to the age-old saying, "Don't threaten Cerrone with a good time," because it's guaranteed he's going to make the most out of every experience he dives into.
“Oh we are still having fun brother don’t you worry about that," Cerrone told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. "We are definitely having a good time, but I’m not sure what changed. To be honest I quit taking training and fighting so seriously and went back to living my life and having fun. I try to teach that to all the guys who come out here to train and live with me. It’s important to live life and enjoy the moment.
"People get all caught up thinking they have to train a certain way or take a certain approach to things, but there’s so much more to this than fitting into what other people think you are supposed to do. You have to have fun and enjoy what you are doing, otherwise what is it all worth?
“I see fighters get burned out all the time, but it’s funny to me that people think all I do is drink beer and f--k off all day," he added. "When it’s time to train we get the work done. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if that weren’t the case. It’s funny to me but people can think whatever they want. I could not care less because I know how much I put into this."
All the work Cerrone has invested has led him to the pinnacle of what is arguably the most stacked division under the UFC roster, and positioned him within striking distance of a title opportunity. It's a status he's reached by putting together the most impressive winning streak of his career as Cerrone has bested seven straight fighters under the bright lights in a variety of fashion. And while he's certainly no stranger to stringing together lengthy hot streaks, his current run has come against a collection of the best talent currently working in the 155-pound ranks.
That said, the current version of Cerrone is a different animal from days past. While he's always been that lively scrapper who looks forward to trading leather on a Saturday night, somewhere along the line he felt a shift occur in his mindset toward the fight at hand. Where he was once simply happy to kick, knee, elbow and punch his way to a paycheck, Cerrone has become a dangerous and precise hunter once the cage door closes. That is what he believes is the foundation upon which his current streak is built upon.
“It's not an easy thing to pinpoint, but I’d say it’s probably been over the past few years when I started believing in myself more," Cerrone said. "That caused a big shift in the way I see things. When I fought Benson Henderson for the first time or Jamie Varner it was always like, 'Oh man…I’m in here fighting these guys. Do I really belong here?’ That’s all changed now. My mentality now is that goddammit I’m here and I’m here to do my thing. My mental game has changed tremendously and I see things completely different now. It used to be, ‘Oh man I’m in there with this guy,' but now that guy is in there with me."
The next man who will step inside the Octagon with him will bring a different type of aura along with him as Cerrone will face undefeated phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov in a highly anticipated bout at UFC 187 on May 23. In addition to the matchup featuring two of the best 155-pound fighters on the planet, the lightweight tilt has garnered additional attention for the trash talk and social media barbs that have been launched from the talented young Dagestani in the lead up to the fight.
While Cerrone admits those taunts would have gotten a rise out of him a few years back, experience and time served in the fight game have given him the tools to allow his opponent's jabs to roll off his shoulders without a second thought. The reason being: Cerrone knows no matter what 140-character-limited snipes are targeted in his direction, when the time to dance arrives Nurmagomedov will have to back up everything he's launched across a multitude of platforms.
And therein lies the payoff for Cerrone. With nearly a decade spent in the fight game he's been involved in nearly every form of feud or grudge match both personal and for the sake of promoting a fight. He knows no matter what is said, the man across the cage will have to back up those words, and this is where he finds comfort in a place where few comforts exist.
“Two or three years ago trying to get under my skin would have worked," Cerrone said. "I would have been livid with every tweet he sent out. Calling me a drunk Cowboy or this or that would have pissed me off, but now I just laugh it off. I don’t care. He can promote the fight and say whatever he wants, but on May 23 I’m going to see him and he’ll have nowhere to go. They are going to shut the cage door and he’s stuck in there with me.
“Nothing he says will get in my head because I don’t dwell on that s--t. I just laugh it off and keep my focus on the night where it all matters. And I’m ready, man. I can't tell you just how ready I am."
Should Cerrone be the first man to mark a loss on Nurmagomedov's record at UFC 187, title talk will immediately ramp up in the aftermath. Yet, there is little regard in that department where Cerrone is concerned, which is a rarity in a sport where championship gold seems to be the constant focus of every fighter who straps on the 4 oz. gloves.
And to make it perfectly clear, it's not that getting his hands on the lightweight strap isn't something Cerrone is motivated to achieve, it's just that it's not the primary motivation for why he does what he does. In his mind it's more about the journey and testing himself at all turns than it is about glory or anything associated with reaching the mountain top.
There have been other times over recent years where he's been close to landing a title opportunity, but for some reason or another, the best version of Cerrone failed to show up on those nights. While there was a sting that undoubtedly lingered, he's not the type to carry baggage down the trail all too far. He simply gets on to the next thing and goes where the wind takes him. Fortunately for fight fans those winds continue to carry him into action-packed tilts where the best of what Cerrone has to offer will be put on display.
That's the entire reason he makes the walk into the cage, and the same reason fight fans love to watch him do what he does best. Whether he's a champion or should remain a perennial contender, Cerrone always shows up to put everything he has on the line.
“I’m not trying to be anything other than the way I was born and raised," Cerrone said. "I honestly don’t give a s--t. Everyone talks about the title and they all go crazy for that, but the title isn’t my overall goal. I’m going out there to win every fight because nobody walks out there to get a loss. Fortunately, I know that if I keep beating all of the guys they put in front of me then the title is going to come.
"I don’t wake up every morning thinking I have to beat Khabib because I’ll get the title shot. Nah…I don’t give a s--t about that. I’m going out there to beat him because that’s what I always step in there to do."
Regardless of where his journey ultimately ends up, be it as a champion or a fighter who always strove to give his best, Cerrone has always taken the road less traveled by and it has made all the difference.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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