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SPORTS Tuesday 3 december 2019
UFC's toughest 'Cowboy' set for career fight vs. McGregor

By DAN GELSTON only the second time in 38
AP Sports Writer months and the first time
Donald Cerrone posted since he was choked out by
a booze-fueled photo to Khabib Nurmagomedov in
hype his anticipated fight October 2018. Cerrone will
against Conor McGregor: continue to add to his leg-
A bottle of Cerrone's pre- acy as MMA's busiest fight-
ferred cheap American- er — he fought four times
style beer vs. the Irish fight- in 2019 (2-2) and holds the
er's own whiskey. UFC career record for wins
Cerrone has eschewed Mc- (23) and most finishes (16)
Gregor's Proper No. Twelve in company history.
whiskey, but the winningest Cerrone doesn't necessar-
fighter in UFC history finally ily believe his grind-it-out
takes his shot at the hard li- schedule holds an ad-
quor's founder in a January vantage over McGregor's
fight at least five years in elongated rest period.
the making. UFC fans have "I don't know if I believe in all
buzzed for years about the that ring rust stuff," Cerrone
potential brouhaha be- said. "I don't know if that's In this Jan. 18, 2015 photo Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone is seen after a fight at UFC Fight Night in
tween McGregor, the big- an actual thing. He's very Boston.
gest star in the sport, and talented, won two world Associated Press
the hard-living fighter better titles, went in there with
known as "Cowboy." Once Floyd Mayweather. I don't wins and a regular fight of Cerrone said. "Everyone training camp home of Al-
the fight was announced think a year or a couple of the night winner). would get their hopes up buquerque, New Mexico.
last week, the prospect of years off is going to matter. "I'm like my own worst ene- and then it wouldn't go "My pace, my cardio, I plan
some four-letter-word trash Who the (heck) knows? I'm my, for sure," Cerrone said. through. It was like, yeah, on really putting on the
talking between two of the coming in full guns a blaz- "My coaches say all the right, it's not going to hap- pressure." Cerrone signed a
biggest mouths in the sport ing, man. My camp's excit- time, don't take that fight. pen. Then the contract new mutli-fight deal as part
was dimmed — at least for ed about this fight." I definitely could have had came sliding across, and I of the McGregor bout and
now — when McGregor His cowboy hat always on, better opportunities if I was was like, oh (wow), here it has no plans to slow down,
went on social media and Cerrone has grown into sitting and waiting. But I is." no matter the outcome.
wished Cerrone's family a one of the more popular love it. I love chasing this Cerrone is ready for a "fun He's dabbled in acting and
happy holiday. McGregor's fighters in UFC with his fight crazy feeling." as hell" fight night in a says he wants to put his UFC
friendly acknowledgment anyone, any time style and He waited out McGregor matchup that might have records far out of reach for
came with a steely caveat, who always seems up for a for what is expected to been more enticing two the next generation of stars.
" See you in 20/20 with bulls- good time. The 36-year-old be the richest payday of or three years ago. The He trains at the BMF Ranch,
eye vision." Cerrone (a +190 underdog) his career. The seeds were fight has already seem- part of another nickname
"This is the fight that every- has done it all, except win planted when Cerrone first ingly become more about that's made him one of the
one wants to see," Cerrone a UFC championship. His called out McGregor when how McGregor will look in more respected fighters in-
said. "I don't even know method of cramming as they shared the UFC Fight his return than what a win side the cage.
why we have to have a many fights as he can into Night card in January 2015. would mean for Cerrone's Up next, the fight of a life-
media tour. This fight is go- the shortest window has They shared a dais in 2015 career. But while McGregor time.
ing to sell itself. He's done a perhaps at times prevent- to promote upcoming UFC has been caught up in a "What I want to do is get all
great job of promoting him- ed the patience necessary cards and promptly took string of legal woes during of America to back me like
self and becoming Conor needed to wait for a major aim at each other. Cerrone his time off, Cerrone has Ireland does him," Cerrone
McGregor." title shot. Cerrone's losses continued through the remained in about an end- said, laughing. "That's what
The 170-pound bout is set this year were to Tony Fer- years to pressure McGregor less cycle of training. I want. If there's a guy for
to headline UFC 246 on guson (on a 12-fight win- to kickstart his comeback "My wrestling is far supe- America to stand behind,
Jan. 18 at T-Mobile Arena ning streak and set to fight and fight him. rior," Cerrone said Monday it's the blue-collar, beer-
in Las Vegas. McGregor will Nurmagomedov) and Jus- "This fight was going to hap- by phone on his way to a drinking Cowboy. I think I'm
fight inside the octagon for tin Gaethje (three straight pen three or four times," swim workout outside his the man."q
Manfred meets with Bernie Sanders over minor league proposal

NEW YORK (AP) — Demo- primarily would impact done so prudently and for
cratic presidential candi- lower-level teams in short- the benefit of all citizens.
date Bernie Sanders met season leagues. Sanders, "MLB also must ensure
Monday with baseball a senator from Vermont, that minor league players
Commissioner Rob Man- sent Manfred a letter on have safe playing facili-
fred to discuss MLB's pro- Nov. 25 calling the plan "a ties suitable for the devel-
posal to that would drop disaster for baseball fans, opment of professional
42 minor league teams workers and communities baseball players, are not
from their leagues after throughout the country." subjected to unreason-
the 2020 season. MLB is MLB issued a statement able travel demands, are
negotiating a new agree- Monday saying it "under- provided with compensa-
ment with the National As- stands that we have an tion and working condi-
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to the media at sociation of Professional obligation to local com- tions appropriate for elite
the owners meeting in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 21, Baseball Leagues, the munities to ensure that athletes, and have a op-
2019. governing body of the mi- public money spent on portunity of making it to
Associated Press
nors. The initial proposal minor league stadiums is the major leagues."q