Donald Cerrone is standing tall despite suffering one of the ugliest losses in his mixed martial arts career.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran locked horns with the returning Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 246 at the T-mobile Arena last Saturday.
In less than a minute, Cerrone was finished by the Irish star as he was caught by shoulder strikes and a head kick early in the opening round before absorbing a flurry of left punches.
‘Cowboy’ said he was shocked with McGregor’s performance, saying “I’ve not seen anything like it.”
He sustained a busted nose in the process and is expected to sit out for six months, according to the medical suspensions report by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Keep Fighting
Now on a three-fight losing skid, some MMA fans believe it is time for Cerrone to call it quits.
The 36-year old fighter holds the record for the most wins, most knockdowns, most finishes, and most post-fight bonuses in the UFC.
Despite failing to add numbers to these records, Cerrone feels there is still plenty of gas left on his tank and leaving the sport he loves is not an option at this point.
“Hey man, I love this sport,” he stressed.
“I’mma keep fighting.”
“I don’t care you know. It’s just what I love,man.”
And while he is dealing with a painful defeat, Grandma Cerrone’s wise words are there to help.
“Grandma Cerrone!!! The lady who taught me how to be a Good Man,” he wrote on Instagram.
“She told me it’s easy to walk Tall in the Day light. Now you need to walk Tall in the moonlight.”
Phenomenal Woman
McGregor, who had a touching moment with Grandma Cerrone in the Octagon after the welterweight fight, has some kind words for her.
“She’s just a phenomenal woman, that lady,” McGregor said, (per MMA Junkie).
“She’s there from the first fight of the night to the final fight of the night. Even after the bout, she came over and showed me respect.”
“I showed her respect, and it was great to finally meet her.”
“You see her. She’s a prevalent part of the game, isn’t she?”
“Donald’s fought so much, and that lady is there from the start of the fight to the finish.”
“What a lady. What a man she’s raised. I’m very, very, very honored to share the cage with Donald.”
“I’m very proud. He’s a good man, and he’s got good people behind him. Much respect.”
(Featured Image Source: YouTube/ MMA Junkie and Twitter/ UFC)