Cerrone looking to put on a show
UFC’s winningest fighter faces Hernandez Saturday
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will seek to extend his record total of UFC victories Saturday in Brooklyn, N.Y. But that’s not why he’s fighting. Cerrone (34-11), who trains in Edgewood at his own BMF Gym, is scheduled to face Alexander Hernandez (10-1) of San Antonio, Texas, in a welterweight fight on UFC Fight Night 143 at Barclays Center.
In defeating Mike Perry by first-round submission (arm bar) in Denver on Nov. 10, Cerrone became the all-time leader in UFC victories with 21. But, he said in a recent interview, that’s not the legacy he’s looking for.
He just wants to be known, and remembered, simply as a fighter worth the price of admission.
“My legacy, that’s what I want it to be, man,” Cerrone told sherdog.com. “... I don’t care if people watch the rest of the card or just me. Just get in there. Cowboy’s fighting, he’s going to give it everything he’s got. To me, that’s the dying name I want.
“I want to be the guy that everybody loved to watch fight because, no matter who, no matter the beef, I got up, I fought, and I had integrity and respect afterwards. To me, that’s what’s important.”
Cerrone-Hernandez is part of the preliminary card, scheduled to be telecast on ESPN at 6 p.m.
The main card, led by a UFC flyweight title fight between champion Henry Cejudo and challenger T.J. Dillashaw, will be telecast on ESPN+, the network’s new subscription service, starting at 8 p.m.
Las Cruces native Joseph Benavidez (265) is scheduled to face Dustin Ortiz (19-7) in a flyweight fight on the main card. Benavidez trains in Las Vegas, Nev.
HOLM UPDATE: Albuquerque’s Lenny Fresquez, Holly Holm’s agent and longtime Albuquerque promoter, still has not confirmed that Holm will fight Californian Aspen Ladd on UFC 235 in Las Vegas Nev., on March 2. But Holm has. “Peek a boo. March 2nd, I see you,” Holm posted on Instagram on Jan. 8.
“I see you too,” Ladd posted the following day.
Then on Wednesday, in an interview with mmajunkie.com, Holm made it clear that the Ladd fight is a done deal.
“I’m going to have this fight with Aspen Ladd and we’ll see what happens going forward,” she said.
The UFC announced the Holm-Ladd fight on Dec. 21, but Fresquez said he had accepted the fight only on a conditional basis and that no contract had been signed. Since then, Fresquez has declined further comment.
Speculation online has the winner between Holm (12-4) and Ladd (7-0) as the likely next challenger for the UFC bantamweight title held by Amanda Nunes.
According to mulitiple online sources, Jon Jones (23-1), Holm’s teammate at Albuquerque’s Jackson-Wink MMA, is scheduled to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Anthony Smith (31-13) in that night’s main event. The UFC has made no announcement.
Jackson-Wink welterweight Diego Sanchez (28-11) is matched against Mickey Gall (5-1) on the UFC 235 undercard.
UPCOMING: On Feb. 17 in Phoenix, Jackson-Wink strawweight Jodie Esquibel (6-4) is scheduled to face Jessica Penne (12-5) on a UFC Fight Night card in Phoenix.
On March 30, Jackson-Wink strawweight Michelle Waterson (16-6) is matched against Poland’s Karolina Kowalkiewicz (12-3) on a UFC Fight card in Philadelphia.
Esquibel and Waterson should be of great help to each other in preparation for their upcoming fights. Esquibel has fought Kowalkiewicz, and Waterson has fought Penne.
Waterson defeated Penne by fourthround submission (arm bar) on an Invicta FC card in April 2013.
Esquibel lost to Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision on a UFC Fight Night card in October 2017.