Diego Sanchez now has an opponent for his apparent UFC finale when he takes on fellow grizzled veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
Following a tweet released by Diego Sanchez that announced his next opponent, MMA Fighting has confirmed that Sanchez will be facing Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone on May 8. There are currently no other bouts scheduled for the event.
After losing his most recent fight to Jake Matthews at UFC 253, Diego Sanchez began to make preparations for his final UFC fight. Some of the names on Sanchez’s wish list for his final UFC bout were Conor McGregor, Donald Cerrone, Demian Maia, and Dan Hardy. The UFC has accommodated the company mainstay with a bout against former Jackson Wink MMA teammate Donald Cerrone.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will be competing in an astounding 47th fight under the Zuffa umbrella when he tangles with Diego Sanchez. With his most recent fight against Niko Price being ruled a no contest, Cerrone is officially on a four-fight losing streak. So although it is Diego Sanchez who is vocal about this being his UFC sendoff, a loss to Sanchez could spell the end for Cerrone’s UFC run as well. Following Cerrone’s fight against Niko Price, Dana White voiced uncertainty about Cerrone’s UFC future, so Cowboy cannot afford to give the promotion any reason to put an end to his remarkable run.
Diego Sanchez has had mixed success lately. In his last six fights, he has a .500 record of 3-3, with wins over Craig White, Mickey Gall, and a DQ victory over Michel Pereira. His losses have all been decisive, with a KO loss to Matt Brown and a pair of unanimous-decision defeats to Michael Chiesa and, most recently, Jake Matthews.
Does Diego Sanchez’s UFC run have a happy ending? Or does Donald Cerrone send him off with a loss?