At 3:10 seconds into the fifth round, Donald Cerrone’s shot at the title had been cut short. Jamie Varner escaped the bout with a Technical Decision (split), leaving “The Cowboy” with his hat, but not a belt.
Even after the disappointing loss to Varner, Cerrone is still at the top of the WEC lightweight division, explaining that he is “still number one contender”, and after the victory he will be back at the lightweight champion of the WEC.
However, the lightweight belt is not the only motivation at this point for Cerrone. Varner has added to “The Cowboy’s” desire to get back in the octagon with him.
“He just keeps going on interviews and just talking how I have nothing to offer him. How he destroyed me. How I don’t even belong in the ring with him,” stated Cerrone, explaining the cause of recent hostility between the two. “He wants to keep talking crap that he wants to take my hat off my head and give it back to the Tapout guys.”
You can say what you want to Cerrone, but “The Cowboy’s” hat is strictly off limits, unless you really want to irritate him.
“Go ahead man. Take my hat. See what happens,” threatened Cerrone.
However, it seems Varner simply suggesting the theft of Cerrone’s hat is enough to set “The Cowboy” off. Using an expletive or two, Cerrone explained he would not need a scheduled bout to throw a couple punches Varner’s way.
“I’m to the point that when I just see the dude, I want to f*** him up,” explained Cerrone.
However, a title would help out Cerrone’s career more than a bar brawl. Being the number one contender, he only needs to win more fight for another title shot, but there is a catch.
Cerrone’s next bout is on June 7th in Sacramento. WEC 41 features Mike Brown’s rematch with Urijah Faber, and Jens Pulver’s attempt to gain relevancy in MMA. It also features Cerrone’s opponent, undefeated James Krause.
Krause has won the vast majority of his fights via submission, and so has Cerrone. In Krause’s case, this tiger does not plan on changing his stripes.
“He’s talking he wants to triangle me,” explained Cerrone. “But I have to be in his guard for him to triangle me, and I don’t plan on playing in his guard.”
Counting out Krause’s chance of pulling off a submission, Cerrone addressed his own. If Krause decides to play in the guard of Cerrone, “The Cowboy” says he will have no problem with pulling off a triangle choke of his own.
Cerrone does not plan on the fight ending via submission, however. In fact, he does not see the fight aging more than a round, explaining,” I think it will be a knockout, or a referee stoppage for sure.”
However, Cerrone and Krause don’t just have their many submission victories in common, Cerrone once was undefeated as well.
Entering his title fight with a 9-0 record, Cerrone knew exactly what feeling unbeatable felt like. However, after his first loss, Cerrone has seen the benefits to be had.
“You can’t learn anything just winning all the time. When you win, you don’t look back and look at what you are doing wrong,” stated Cerrone. “When you lose you are like, aw man, that’s obviously what I’m doing wrong. I’m pretty glad I got the first loss out of the way, and then now it is just back up hill again.
The road “back up hill” for Cerrone begins with the undefeated James Krause. A victory for Cerrone inevitably places him against the WEC lightweight champ once again.
However, Cerrone sees the rematch playing out a little differently. “Hard and fast, and in his face the whole time” is how Cerrone plans to exact his revenge.
The Cowboy’s” eyes seem always set to the top of the lightweight division. A battle with Varner is his next goal, along with a tenure in the UFC.
However, the road to the top comes with many stepping stones. At WEC 41, James Krause will become yet another stone for Donald Cerrone, and determine if “The Cowboy” continues his rise in the WEC lightweight division, or gallops into the sunset and out of title contention.
