Canadian underdog hopes he’s underestimated
John Makdessi isn’t waiting around anymore.
After dismantling promotional newcomer Shane Campbell in less than a round during a 160-pound catchweight bout at UFC 186 on April 25 in Montreal, the Canadian knew that his stock was at an alltime high and believed opportunity would come knocking.
That opportunity came in the form of a fight with No.-3 ranked UFC lightweight Donald Cerrone after the American’s original opponent, Khabib Nurmagomedov, was forced to pull out of the fight because of an injury.
The only catch for Makdessi was a turnaround time of less than a month, with the fight taking place Saturday at UFC 187 in Las Vegas.
With the odds heavily stacked against him — many are considering this a tune-up fight for Cerrone on his way to a lightweight title shot, a rosy path to championship gold the Tristar Gym product is hoping to thoroughly stomp on.
“I hope to God he underestimates me,” Makdessi says. “I want everybody to tell Donald, ‘It’s gonna be an easy fight for you.’ At the end of the day, everyone has a gift until they get hit in the face. When I touched (Shane Campbell), his whole body changed, everything changed and he went from a striker to a wrestler.”
A win over a decorated kick-boxer like Campbell is nothing to shake a stick at, but Cerrone has been on an absolute tear himself with seven straight victories that include wins over top-tier opponents like Benson Henderson, Eddie Alvarez and Jim Miller. But Makdessi doesn’t see ‘Cowboy’ as much as an opponent as he does an obstacle.
“For me, it’s all about focusing on what I have to do, not what he’s gonna do,” Makdessi says. “At the end of the day, I cannot control what he’s gonna do — I can only adjust and adapt.”
But even with so much on the line and a potential title shot hanging in the balance, Makdessi, 30, isn’t about to play it safe and try to outmuscle Cerrone into a decision victory, and that’s very likely the single biggest reason the Nova Scotia native is getting his first UFC fight on a main card in Vegas.
“If Donald is there to fight, then it’s fireworks (and) I truly believe it’ll be the best fight of the year,” Makdessi says. “We’re gonna see who wants it more; the best man is gonna win. You’ll have to see on May 23.”