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Donald Cerrone certainly believes he should be next in line for a lightweight title shot.
The 36-year-old extended his current win streak to three following his impressive unanimous decision win over Al Iaquinta at UFC Ottawa on Saturday night.
The headlines afterward were focused on his callout of Conor McGregor, but the main motive for “Cowboy” remains getting a title shot.
Current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is expected to unify his title with interim title-holder Dustin Poirier in September. Should either of them have to pull out, Cerrone is ready to step in.
But even if they don’t, he would be “thoroughly disappointed” not to receive the next crack at the title.
“Listen, my name’s in the hat for them,” Cerrone said at the post-fight media scrum. “For sure, if one of them fall out, get hurt. Listen, I left here [ranked] No. 2 [at lightweight] and I didn’t go anywhere. So people ask me, ‘oh, where should you be ranked?’ I don’t care about rankings but I should beat these guys, man. I feel like I’m the best in the world. I feel like that’s where I belong.”
“For the UFC not to give me a title shot, I would step back, and I would be like thoroughly disappointed. I’d be like, ‘wow, a guy who’s done all this in the sport. I don’t trash talk, I go in there, and I deliver every time and you’re going to overlook me for somebody else?’ I’d be really upset. I’d be like, ‘wow, that’s the company I work for?’ Which, I’m not saying is going to happen, by any means. I’m just saying, to me, I’d really be thrown back. Like wow.”
McGregor Consolation
The only reason Cerrone would be fine with not getting the next title shot was if he got a lucrative fight with McGregor instead.
The two were expected to collide earlier this year but it never came to fruition. Given Cerrone’s current stock though, it remains a possibility.
However, given how “Cowboy” also likes to remain active, he acknowledges he probably won’t have the patience to wait on the Irishman.
“On the flip side, if Conor wants to fight, f–k yeah, let’s go,” he added. “Especially in July, I’m ready. Let’s turn and burn, baby, because they’re [Khabib vs. Poirier winner] not ready until September.
“Who knows, man. I’m going to be sitting at home in a couple of months, bored, like ‘f–k, fine, I’ll fight whoever, let’s go.’ I already know it. But I love it.”
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This article first appeared at LowKickMMA.com
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