- Donald Cerrone talks about his UFC Hall of Fame induction and life after retirement
- “Cowboy” insists he is not making a return as he is now on steroids and will focus on his Hollywood career
Donald Cerrone did not shy away from speaking his mind about his UFC Hall of Fame induction and life after retirement.
Embracing his stature
Speaking to reporters at UFC San Antonio, “Cowboy” confessed that even before he called it a career, people were already regarding him as a Hall of Famer. However, it was only when he got inducted that he finally appreciated its importance to his legacy.
“Throughout my career, everyone says ‘Future Hall of Famer, future Hall of Famer.’ It just like rattles off, you know?. It’s just words. It’s not a real thing until it’s a real thing, you know? It’s crazy. Man, I’m taken away and honored, to be honest. I don’t really have words to express. … I had no clue my family was even here, so that was another surprise,” Cerrone began.
“Now it’s sinking in to be like, ‘Yeah, I’m in the Hall.’It’s cool, it’s an honor, man. I mean, you look across any major league sport, the Hall of Famers, that’s an important thing, man. To be with the greats of Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Urijah (Faber), the list goes – it’s not that big of a list, to be honest with you, in our game. To be hanging on the wall at the PI, it’s going to be cool,” he continued.
Cowboy doesn’t miss fighting
Like any other MMA legend, Cerrone also misses his team. However, he made it clear that he doesn’t feel the same way about fighting.
Having starred in the Hollywood movie “Project Legion,” “Cowboy” said acting is now his new career.
“I miss the training with the groups and getting ready, but being in there and fighting, I don’t (miss it). It was time. It was time to bow out, and like I said, I’m going to Hollywood, man. That’s my next plan, that’s the next mission. I enjoy moving forward with all that, and loving the adventure I’m on now, but there’s days where I think back like, ‘Man, do we have one more in us? Do go back for two and have 50?’”
Enjoying retirement
Some of Cerrone’s UFC peers may have retired only to make an epic comeback but he let everybody know that he’s not gonna follow the trend. And though “Cowboy” flirted with the idea of facing Jake Paul in post-retirement, he admitted that he’s doing steroids at the moment so, there’s no way he is coming back anytime soon.
“I got my hair done, so my hair is growing in, and got on steroids, so I couldn’t come back if I wanted to right now. I feel good right now. I’m healthy, happy, and just enjoying a lot of time with the kids and them growing up with the family, and like I said, chasing Hollywood – which is a lot like starting from the very beginning of wanting to be a UFC fighter again, is how I feel. I just re-entered that realm again, so let’s strap the boots on, let’s go,” Cerrone pointed out.
Cerrone retired from MMA after losing to Jim Miller at UFC 276. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. In his 16-year pro MMA career, “Cowboy” amassed a 36-17-2 record and fought some of the biggest names in the sport, including Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Charles Oliveira, Rafael Dos Anjos, and Benson Henderson.
