Unlike what we we all led to believe, it seems that the career of a legendary MMA fighter has indeed not come to an end. After retiring and staying out of action since July 2022, Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone took to social media in October, announcing his intentions to put on four-ounce gloves once more and compete in the Dana White-led promotion. However, this decision drew the ire of the head honcho, but despite his disapproval, the 41-year-old seems on his way to a comeback.

The former UFC lightweight and welterweight has re-entered the UFC’s testing pool and is now targeting a return for the summer of 2025. The veteran who has a history of never being inactive fighting at least twice a year said, “Probably June, July we will make the comeback. Coming back for two more. Just two more. I want 50 fights in the UFC.” Donald Cerrone currently has 55 professional MMA fights on his resume. Out of the 55 fights, 48 were fought while he was a fighter during the Zuffa era of the UFC.

When he retired, he told everyone that he was getting his hair done and would be getting on performance enhancers. However, the idea of not achieving his goal in the promotion kept bothering him. So, to make a comeback, he will have to go clean again since he has been taking testosterone-replacement therapy and peptides.

It’s important to note that to make 50 fights within the UFC, ‘Cowboy’ would have to fight 12 more times, not two. His number of bouts within the promotion is 38, as opposed to the number he quoted. So, two more fights would mean he will have 40 fights in the UFC if Dana White allows him to return. One thing is for sure, the UFC head honcho is not going to let Cerrone fight 12 more times in the UFC, given the caliber of talent that has entered the fray since he left. However, despite the lifestyle change and the Colorado native’s stubbornness, company CEO Dana White still remains opposed to the decision.

Dana White disapproves of Donald Cerrone’s return

At the Dana White Contender Series press conference in Las Vegas back in October, the head honcho expressed that he wasn’t a fan of Donald Cerrone’s idea to come out of retirement. Speaking on his comeback, Dana White claimed that if the decision depended on him, ‘Cowboy’ would be kept far away from the Octagon. He made it clear that he was against the UFC veteran returning to MMA, even going as far as ruling out any possibility of the UFC re-signing him.

He also showed his concern about the UFC legend’s intentions. It is worth noting that Cerrone retired when it seemed like his career had finally reached its zenith, with six losses and one no-contest in his last fights. For this reason, White stressed that ‘Cowboy’ should abandon the idea. After all, he is already immortalized in the history of the league and the sport. Speaking about the return, Dana White said, “I hate it. I hate it. Love him, hate that.” 

The UFC head honcho further added, “He retired. For what? What’s left to prove? If you want to make money, let’s figure something else out. I hate it. When guys retire, they retire for a reason. They don’t just retire because—they retire because they know it’s over. They know it is.” White further added that while Cerrone remains a beloved fighter, the veteran fighter should accept his fate. But what do you think? Do you agree with Dana White that Donald Cerrone should remain retired? Let us know in the comments.