Donald Cerrone has brushed off criticism from ESPN's Stephen A Smith, who suggested the fighter quit during his 40-second defeat to Conor McGregor in January. Smith's comments prompted backlash from the MMA community, with McGregor himself calling for an apology. However, Smith later claimed vindication after Cerrone admitted he knew before the bout that he did not want to fight the Irishman.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Cerrone dismissed the criticism, stating he pays no attention to outside opinions. 'I look myself in the mirror, I don't give a sh*t what the people at home say. I don't pay attention. I don't read nothing, I don't watch nothing. I think I'm really good at staying the hell away from that. I got my ranch that I live. I've got so much life going on that I don't have any idea what the people that don't have life going on have to say,' he said.
Cerrone returns to action at UFC 249 this weekend in Florida, facing Anthony Pettis in his first fight since the McGregor loss. The event takes place amid the coronavirus pandemic, and Cerrone has expressed his desire to compete multiple times during the UFC's week of fight nights at the same venue. He aims to fight at each event, seeking to shake off the disappointment of his previous outing.
Reflecting on his recent form, Cerrone said, 'It f*cking sucks, because you're only as good as your last fight. Now I'm only as good as my last three and goddamn. A win is something that I'm motivated, excited for.' He added, 'What's really cool I'm here for all three fights. Think what they're going to say when Cowboy goes 3-0 in f*cking one week. Then I'm going to be back on the greatest again. So it's going to be all right. I'm going from a bum to a superstar.'
