UFC President Dana White has made it clear he’s not on board with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone’s recent announcement about coming out of retirement for two more fights. Cerrone, who retired in 2022 after a legendary career, revealed his desire to return to the UFC, but White was firm in his disapproval.
“I hate it. I hate it,” White said during a post-Contender Series media scrum on Tuesday. “Love him, hate that. He retired. For what? What’s left to prove?”
Cerrone, a UFC Hall of Fame inductee in 2023, remains one of the most respected and beloved figures in MMA. His retirement, after 48 fights across the UFC and WEC, came following a string of losses. With Cerrone winning only one of his last seven bouts. Despite this, the 41-year-old Cerrone has expressed his desire to fight twice more to round off his career with 50 total matches.
However, White believes Cerrone has nothing left to prove and is more concerned about his long-term health.
“There’s nothing left to prove for him,” White added. “He’s beloved because the guy goes to war, and he’s been in wars for years, and it’s time to not go to war anymore.”
While Cerrone’s motivation for a comeback is unclear, White hinted that if it’s financially driven, other solutions can be found. “If it’s about money, then he can do something else. He ain’t going to fight for the rest of his life, and he’s always going to need to make money. So let’s figure that out now instead of three years from now.”
Ultimately, White stressed that Cerrone’s focus should be on life beyond the octagon. “Cerrone needs to think about what’s next. He should have been thinking about it two years ago, but apparently he didn’t, and he needs to.”
While fans and fighters may be excited about Cerrone’s potential return, White made it clear that unless he has a change of heart, the UFC is unlikely to grant the fan-favorite his wish to step into the cage one more time.
