Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone doesn't need to prove to anyone that he's willing to fight wherever or whenever, yet he continues to showcase that he's a fighter in the traditional sense of the term. On Friday, UFC announced that Cerrone will step back into the Octagon on Sept. 14 in Vancouver, British, Columbia, to square off with one of the most violent opponents the promotion could offer in Justin Gaethje. The lightweight main event will mark the fourth time Cerrone will compete in 2019.
Cerrone began the year with a TKO victory over Alexander Hernandez in his return to 155 pounds in January, and he followed that up with a unanimous decision over former lightweight title challenger Al Iaquinta in May. Proving his willingness to fight on a moment's notice, Cerrone then accepted a date with the streaking Tony Ferguson at UFC 238 in June in Chicago, but saw his momentum halted as the fight was brought to a close following the second round. Cerrone inadvertently closed his already-swollen eye by blowing his nose in preparation for the third round of the brutal war, extending the damage already inflicted by Ferguson to the point he was unable to continue.
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Following his memorable fourth-round TKO loss to reigning interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier in April 2018, Gaethje has returned to form as one of the most dangerous (and exciting) combatants the sport has to offer. The 30-year-old has recorded two consecutive first-round knockouts over James Vick and Edson Barboza. Still no doubt eyeing a future 155-pound title opportunity, Gaethje will look to pad that resume with a legendary name the likes of Cerrone.
This will be a main event fight you won't want to miss in Vancouver during a year in which UFC has already given us some of the best fights in recent memory. The violence will be aplenty from start to finish, and likely depending on the outcome, Cerrone could even have saved himself some wiggle room to compete for a fifth time before the year comes to a close.
