At the first UFC event in Ottawa, Canada, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (30-7) dominated Patrick "The Predator" Cote (23-10) for two-and-a-half rounds before dropping him with punches and ending the fight with a ground-and-pound. Cote was the bigger fighter, but Cerrone's speed and movement proved too much for the Canadian.
FINISH HIM!#UFCOttawa https://t.co/27XdVnZYvA
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 19, 2016
Cerrone came into his second welterweight fight off a submission win in his debut in February 2016, locking Alex Oliveira in a triangle in the first round. The move to welterweight seems to suit Cerrone well. He looked healthy, energetic and sharp against Cote, and he came out of the fight looking hardly worse for wear.
The first two rounds saw most of the action on the feet, with Cote attacking the body and Cerrone countering with jabs and head kicks. Toward the end of the first round, Cerrone scored his second takedown and locked up a body triangle, searching but unable to secure a submission. In the second and third rounds, Cerrone dropped Cote with punches three times.
The last time came via a left hook and two rights. Cote looked finished, but when the referee didn't step in, Cerrone walked right into mount and used ground-and-pound to get the stoppage halfway through Round 3.
When did Cerrone get so comfortable countering in exchanges? His boxing has never had that many layers.
— Connor Ruebusch (@BoxingBusch) June 19, 2016
Dude who once fought at light heavyweight & middleweight getting worked by a lightweight in a welterweight fight. This game is crazy, man.
— Chad Dundas (@chaddundas) June 19, 2016
Cerrone's last fight at lightweight was against champion Rafael Dos Anjos in December 2015, and it ended in a first-round TKO loss. In fact, Cerrone's only other loss in the last three years, out of 12 fights, was also to Dos Anjos.
With this dominant victory, Cerrone's potential as a contender is hard to deny. Currently unranked as a welterweight, the top 15 has several potential fights. A brawl with No. 8 Matt Brown would be an exciting matchup. No. 13 Tarec Saffiedine is coming off a loss, and squaring off against a rising prospect would offer opportunities for both.
The local favorite, Cote, fighting out of Montreal, is on his second run in the UFC. Cote debuted in the UFC less than two years after his professional MMA career began and accrued a record of 4-7 in the promotion between 2004 and 2010.
After four victories in independent promotions, Cote returned to the UFC in July 2012. With this loss, Cote is now 3-2 in his last five. Also unranked in the division, re-establishing himself with some gatekeeping matches might be in the cards.
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