After announcing his retirement in July 2022 following a submission loss to Jim Miller at UFC 276, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has decided that his MMA story isn’t quite finished. In a video posted to Instagram, the Cowboy announced that he wants to return to the UFC with a specific goal in mind: to reach an unprecedented 50 fights under the Zuffa (UFC and WEC) banner.
With 38 fights in the UFC alone, Cerrone stands third in the organization’s history for most bouts, trailing only behind Andrei Arlovski and Jim Miller. His 23 wins in the UFC make him the second-most winning fighter in the promotion’s history, and he holds records for the most post-fight bonuses, showcasing his commitment to giving the fan’s their money’s worth. Yet, Cowboy’s rise to stardom can’t be explained by his time inside of the octagon alone; his authenticity and openness throughout his career have been unwavering, allowing fans to connect with the UFC Hall of Famer in a unique way.
His knack for honesty continued into retirement. During his time away from the octagon, Cerrone took advantage of his newfound freedom from the reigns of USADA and openly began “taking TRT and a bunch of peptides.” The change in protocol appeared to effect a transformation almost immediately, with fans shocked by Cowboy’s newfound physique in late 2022.
The added testosterone and peptides also impacted the way that Cerrone felt. In fact, his October 15th Instagram post isn’t the first time that Cowboy has teased interest in a UFC return. During an episode of Steve-O’s Wild Ride, Cerrone revealed that he had told Dana that he wanted to fight again, to which the UFC boss responded, “you feel great, you’re on all the sh*t. Come off it for six months, let me know how you feel.”
At the time, Cerrone lacked interest in returning to a natural lifestyle, but his motivation has clearly changed: “I now can come off and piss clean. Fight in a few months.”
What do you think? Is this time different for Cowboy? Will he ride into the sunset with two more memorable battles, or will the transition off of TRT and the rigors of age present hurdles too high?
