Donald Cerrone
Encyclopedia
Donald Anthony Cerrone is an American
mixed martial artist and Muay Thai
kickboxer who fights out of Albuquerque, New Mexico
and currently competes as a lightweight
in the UFC. As of November 2011, Cerrone is ranked as the #9 lightweight fighter in the world by Sherdog
.
at a gym called Freedom Fighters, winning his first 25 Muay Thai
bouts. Cerrone began training with Rashad Evans
, Nathan Marquardt
, Keith Jardine
, Georges St. Pierre
, Leonard Garcia
and other skilled MMA fighters at Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting Gaidojutsu school in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He was featured on the Versus
television series TapouT
, where he was sponsored before his fight with Anthony Njokuani
. Cerrone won the fight in the first round with a triangle choke.
. His first fight in the promotion was against Kenneth Alexander. Originally a win via submission in 0:54 seconds of the first round, the decision was changed to a no contest when Cerrone tested positive for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide
.
Cerrone was scheduled to face Rich Crunkilton at WEC 34
, but Crunkilton was forced off the card with an injury and replaced by Danny Castillo
. Cerrone won the bout via submission at 1:30 of the first round.
At WEC 38
he fought WEC lightweight champion, Jamie Varner
, for the abovementioned title, losing via technical split decision. The fight was highly competitive and won the Fight of the Night award. However, the fight was stopped prematurely in the fifth round when Cerrone hit Varner's temple with an illegal knee while Varner was still on the ground. Varner was given time to recover, but he was unable to continue, noting that he had double vision and had sustained a broken hand.
Cerrone was again scheduled to face Rich Crunkilton on June 7, 2009 at WEC 41
, but Crunkilton was forced off the card with an injury and replaced by James Krause
. Cerrone defeated James Krause
via first round submission.
Cerrone and Varner had agreed to a rematch, tentatively at WEC 43
, but Varner was unable to receive medical clearance as a result from his hand injury. Cerrone fought Ben Henderson
for the WEC Interim Lightweight Championship on October 10, 2009 at WEC 43
in San Antonio, Texas
, losing by unanimous decision. The fight was awarded Fight of the Year honors by Sherdog
for 2009. Cerrone credited Henderson for being "a hell of a fighter" and conceded that he was slow to start the action, which may have cost him the match.
Cerrone defeated Ed Ratcliff
via third round submission at WEC 45
on December 19, 2009. The bout also earned Cerrone Fight of the Night honors.
Cerrone fought Ben Henderson
in a rematch of their 2009 fight of the year, this time for the WEC Lightweight Championship on April 24, 2010 at WEC 48
. Cerrone lost via first round guillotine choke submission.
Cerrone faced rival Jamie Varner
in their highly anticipated rematch on September 30, 2010 at WEC 51
. He won the fight via unanimous decision, winning all 3 rounds. In between rounds, there were often many shoves and middle fingers given by both fighters to one another, including a shove at the very end of the match. In the post fight interview, Cerrone declared he'd be willing to do a rematch in Arizona, Varner's home state, to settle their score once and for all. The match won Fight of the Night honors.
Cerrone instead faced Chris Horodecki
on December 16, 2010 at WEC 53
. He won via submission in the second round after holding his triangle choke for a long period of time. During the post fight interview Cerrone called out Cole Miller
for his UFC debut. However, it is already planned that Cole Miller will fight Matt Wiman
at UFC: Fight For The Troops 2
.
merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
. As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC.
Cerrone faced Paul Kelly on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126
, replacing an injured Sam Stout
. Cerrone defeated Kelly via tapout due to a rear-naked choke. For their performance, both fighters earned "Fight of the Night" honors.
Cerrone was expected to face Mac Danzig
on June 11, 2011 at UFC 131
. However, Danzig was forced out of the bout with a chest injury and replaced by promotional newcomer Vagner Rocha
. Cerrone won the fight via unanimous decision, having neutralized his opponent's ability to close and grapple by way of punishing leg kicks. During the post-fight interview Cerrone apologized for his performance, admitting he "fought to not lose, not to win."
Cerrone was expected to face Paul Taylor
on August 14, 2011 at UFC on Versus 5
, replacing an injured John Makdessi
. On July 7 it was announced that Taylor had broken his foot and was forced out of the bout and replaced by Charles Oliveira
. He didn’t waste much time in the fight, landing a hook punch to the body to put Charles Oliveira on the mat. He then swarmed Oliveira, putting him out via TKO three minutes into the opening round, earning Knockout of Night honors for the performance.
Cerrone faced Dennis Siver
on October 29, 2011 at UFC 137
, replacing Sam Stout
. Cerrone defeated Siver via first round submission, earning Submission of the Night honors.
Cerrone is expected to face Nate Diaz on December 30, 2011 at UFC 141
.
Mixed martial arts
Muay Thai
| Win
|align=center| 17–3 (1)
| Dennis Siver
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC 137
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:22
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 16–3 (1)
| Charles Oliveira
| TKO (punches)
| UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:01
|Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 15–3 (1)
| Vagner Rocha
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 131
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 14–3 (1)
| Paul Kelly
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UFC 126
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:48
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 13–3 (1)
| Chris Horodecki
| Submission (triangle choke)
| WEC 53
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:43
|Glendale, Arizona
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–3 (1)
| Jamie Varner
| Decision (unanimous)
| WEC 51
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Broomfield, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 11–3 (1)
| Benson Henderson
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| WEC 48
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:57
|Sacramento, California
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–2 (1)
| Ed Ratcliff
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| WEC 45
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 3:47
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 10–2 (1)
| Benson Henderson
| Decision (unanimous)
| WEC 43
|
|align=center| 5
|align=center| 5:00
|San Antonio, Texas
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–1 (1)
| James Krause
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| WEC 41
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:38
|Sacramento, California
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 9–1 (1)
| Jamie Varner
| Technical Decision (split)
| WEC 38
|
|align=center| 5
|align=center| 3:10
|San Diego, California
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–0 (1)
| Rob McCullough
| Decision (unanimous)
| WEC 36
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Hollywood, Florida
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–0 (1)
| Danny Castillo
| Submission (armbar)
| WEC 34
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:30
|Sacramento, California
, United States
|
|-
| NC
|align=center| 7–0 (1)
| Kenneth Alexander
| No Contest: Overturned by NSAC
| WEC 30
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:56
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–0
| Yasunori Kanehara
| Submission (triangle choke)
| GCM: Cage Force 3
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:46
|Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
| Anthony Njokuani
| Submission (triangle choke)
| ROF 29: Aftershock
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:30
|Broomfield, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
| Ryan Roberts
| Submission (armbar)
| ROF 28: Evolution
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:49
|Broomfield, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
| Jesse Brock
| Submission (triangle choke)
| ROF 26: Relentless
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:35
|Castle Rock, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
| Craig Tennant
| Submission (armbar)
| ROF 24: Integrity
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:26
|Castle Rock, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
| Cruz Chacon
| Submission (triangle choke)
| ACF: Genesis
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:25
|Denver, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
| Nate Mohr
| Submission (triangle choke)
| ROF 21: Full Blast
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:42
|Castle Rock, Colorado
, United States
|
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mixed martial artist and Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
kickboxer who fights out of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
and currently competes as a lightweight
Lightweight (MMA)
The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...
in the UFC. As of November 2011, Cerrone is ranked as the #9 lightweight fighter in the world by Sherdog
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
.
Mixed martial arts career
Donald started his career in Commerce City, ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
at a gym called Freedom Fighters, winning his first 25 Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
bouts. Cerrone began training with Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
, Nathan Marquardt
Nathan Marquardt
Nathan Joel Marquardt is an American mixed martial artist. He is a three-time Middleweight King of Pancrase Champion and former UFC middleweight title contender....
, Keith Jardine
Keith Jardine
Keith Hector Jardine is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division and is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
, Georges St. Pierre
Georges St. Pierre
Georges St-Pierre , often referred to as GSP, is a Canadian mixed martial artist and the current Welterweight Champion of the UFC. St-Pierre is ranked as the No. 1 Welterweight in the world according to Sherdog, MMAWeekly and numerous other publications. St-Pierre is ranked the No. 2 pound for...
, Leonard Garcia
Leonard Garcia
Leonard Garcia is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He previously fought for the UFC in the lightweight division before moving down to the featherweight division in the World Extreme Cagefighting...
and other skilled MMA fighters at Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting Gaidojutsu school in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He was featured on the Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
television series TapouT
TapouT (TV series)
TapouT is an American reality television series that focuses on the world of mixed martial arts. The series premiered on Versus on June 3, 2007 before moving to its regular Wednesday night timeslot beginning June 6...
, where he was sponsored before his fight with Anthony Njokuani
Anthony Njokuani
Anthony Obinnia Njokuani is a Nigerian mixed martial artist who currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Early life:...
. Cerrone won the fight in the first round with a triangle choke.
World Extreme Cagefighting
Cerrone was signed to fight in the WECWorld Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
. His first fight in the promotion was against Kenneth Alexander. Originally a win via submission in 0:54 seconds of the first round, the decision was changed to a no contest when Cerrone tested positive for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide
Hydrochlorothiazide
Hydrochlorothiazide, abbreviated HCTZ, HCT, or HZT, is a first-line diuretic drug of the thiazide class that acts by inhibiting the kidneys' ability to retain water. This reduces the volume of the blood, decreasing blood return to the heart and thus cardiac output and, by other mechanisms, is...
.
Cerrone was scheduled to face Rich Crunkilton at WEC 34
WEC 34
WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on June 1, 2008 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. The main event, announced on WEC 33, was a bout between Jens Pulver and Urijah Faber for the WEC Featherweight Championship. WEC 34...
, but Crunkilton was forced off the card with an injury and replaced by Danny Castillo
Danny Castillo
Daniel "Danny" Alfonso Castillo is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Castillo has made a name for himself fighting in California. He currently fights at lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championships, and...
. Cerrone won the bout via submission at 1:30 of the first round.
At WEC 38
WEC 38
WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on January 25, 2009. It aired live on the Versus Network....
he fought WEC lightweight champion, Jamie Varner
Jamie Varner
James Christopher Varner is a mixed martial artist who fought for World Extreme Cagefighting. He is a former WEC Lightweight champion.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...
, for the abovementioned title, losing via technical split decision. The fight was highly competitive and won the Fight of the Night award. However, the fight was stopped prematurely in the fifth round when Cerrone hit Varner's temple with an illegal knee while Varner was still on the ground. Varner was given time to recover, but he was unable to continue, noting that he had double vision and had sustained a broken hand.
Cerrone was again scheduled to face Rich Crunkilton on June 7, 2009 at WEC 41
WEC 41
WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on June 7, 2009 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. It was the most successful show in the WEC's history....
, but Crunkilton was forced off the card with an injury and replaced by James Krause
James Krause
James Krause is a professional footballer who currently plays for Cambridge City.Krause, a defender, began his career with Ipswich Town and has represented England at under-17 level....
. Cerrone defeated James Krause
James Krause
James Krause is a professional footballer who currently plays for Cambridge City.Krause, a defender, began his career with Ipswich Town and has represented England at under-17 level....
via first round submission.
Cerrone and Varner had agreed to a rematch, tentatively at WEC 43
WEC 43
WEC 43: Cerrone vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on October 10, 2009 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.-Background:...
, but Varner was unable to receive medical clearance as a result from his hand injury. Cerrone fought Ben Henderson
Ben Henderson (fighter)
Benson Henderson is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Henderson, a former WEC Lightweight Champion, is known for his aggressive style and his ability to escape from deep submission attempts...
for the WEC Interim Lightweight Championship on October 10, 2009 at WEC 43
WEC 43
WEC 43: Cerrone vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on October 10, 2009 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.-Background:...
in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, losing by unanimous decision. The fight was awarded Fight of the Year honors by Sherdog
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
for 2009. Cerrone credited Henderson for being "a hell of a fighter" and conceded that he was slow to start the action, which may have cost him the match.
Cerrone defeated Ed Ratcliff
Ed Ratcliff
Edward Norris Ratcliff is an American mixed martial artist. He was recently cut by UFC in January.-World Extreme Cagefighting:Ratcliff debuted at WEC 27, defeating Johnny Sampaio via TKO in the second round....
via third round submission at WEC 45
WEC 45
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on December 19, 2009 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. It marked the first time the WEC has held back-to-back events at The Pearl at The Palms. The event drew an estimated...
on December 19, 2009. The bout also earned Cerrone Fight of the Night honors.
Cerrone fought Ben Henderson
Ben Henderson (fighter)
Benson Henderson is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Henderson, a former WEC Lightweight Champion, is known for his aggressive style and his ability to escape from deep submission attempts...
in a rematch of their 2009 fight of the year, this time for the WEC Lightweight Championship on April 24, 2010 at WEC 48
WEC 48
UFC Presents: Aldo vs. Faber, also referred to as WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on April 24, 2010 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California...
. Cerrone lost via first round guillotine choke submission.
Cerrone faced rival Jamie Varner
Jamie Varner
James Christopher Varner is a mixed martial artist who fought for World Extreme Cagefighting. He is a former WEC Lightweight champion.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...
in their highly anticipated rematch on September 30, 2010 at WEC 51
WEC 51
WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on September 30, 2010 at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event was the first that the WEC hosted in Colorado.-Background:...
. He won the fight via unanimous decision, winning all 3 rounds. In between rounds, there were often many shoves and middle fingers given by both fighters to one another, including a shove at the very end of the match. In the post fight interview, Cerrone declared he'd be willing to do a rematch in Arizona, Varner's home state, to settle their score once and for all. The match won Fight of the Night honors.
Cerrone instead faced Chris Horodecki
Chris Horodecki
Christopher Horodecki is a Polish-Canadian mixed martial artist. He is best known for his fights in the WEC and the IFL.-Mixed martial arts career:Horodecki was born in Poland and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada...
on December 16, 2010 at WEC 53
WEC 53
WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on December 16, 2010 at Jobing.com Arena in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. The event was the first time that Zuffa has hosted an event in Arizona...
. He won via submission in the second round after holding his triangle choke for a long period of time. During the post fight interview Cerrone called out Cole Miller
Cole Miller
Jeremiah Cole Miller is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese....
for his UFC debut. However, it is already planned that Cole Miller will fight Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
at UFC: Fight For The Troops 2
UFC: Fight For The Troops 2
UFC: Fight for the Troops 2, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 23, was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 22, 2011 at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas...
.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In October 2010, World Extreme CagefightingWorld Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
. As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC.
Cerrone faced Paul Kelly on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126
UFC 126
UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, replacing an injured Sam Stout
Sam Stout
Samuel James "Hands of Stone" Stout is a Canadian mixed martial artist from London, Ontario. Currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he is primarily known as a striker with an iron chin.- Mixed martial arts career :...
. Cerrone defeated Kelly via tapout due to a rear-naked choke. For their performance, both fighters earned "Fight of the Night" honors.
Cerrone was expected to face Mac Danzig
Mac Danzig
Mac Danzig is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background:...
on June 11, 2011 at UFC 131
UFC 131
UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
. However, Danzig was forced out of the bout with a chest injury and replaced by promotional newcomer Vagner Rocha
Vagner Rocha
Vagner Rocha is a Brazilian-American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and professional mixed-martial artist, currently competing as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Mixed martial arts career:...
. Cerrone won the fight via unanimous decision, having neutralized his opponent's ability to close and grapple by way of punishing leg kicks. During the post-fight interview Cerrone apologized for his performance, admitting he "fought to not lose, not to win."
Cerrone was expected to face Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor (fighter)
Paul Simon Taylor is an English mixed martial artist from Walsall. He stands 6'0" and weighs . He has fought regularly for Ultimate Fighting Championship. He holds notable wins over Jess Liaudin and Gabe Ruediger....
on August 14, 2011 at UFC on Versus 5
UFC on Versus 5
UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 14, 2011, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The event was the first that the UFC has hosted in Wisconsin...
, replacing an injured John Makdessi
John Makdessi
John Makdessi is an Canadian professional mixed martial arts fighter who competes in the lightweight division. Makdessi has been a professional MMA competitor since 2008, competing mostly in Canada before signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Early Life:John was born in Halifax, Nova...
. On July 7 it was announced that Taylor had broken his foot and was forced out of the bout and replaced by Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Oliveira has mainly fought in small Brazilian promotions until his move to the UFC.-Early career:...
. He didn’t waste much time in the fight, landing a hook punch to the body to put Charles Oliveira on the mat. He then swarmed Oliveira, putting him out via TKO three minutes into the opening round, earning Knockout of Night honors for the performance.
Cerrone faced Dennis Siver
Dennis Siver
Dennis D. Siver ; born January 13, 1979) is a Russian-German mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of July 2011, Siver is ranked as the #8 lightweight fighter in the world by MMAWeekly...
on October 29, 2011 at UFC 137
UFC 137
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 29, 2011 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, replacing Sam Stout
Sam Stout
Samuel James "Hands of Stone" Stout is a Canadian mixed martial artist from London, Ontario. Currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he is primarily known as a striker with an iron chin.- Mixed martial arts career :...
. Cerrone defeated Siver via first round submission, earning Submission of the Night honors.
Cerrone is expected to face Nate Diaz on December 30, 2011 at UFC 141
UFC 141
UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2011, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
.
Personal
Cerrone currently lives on a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) ranch and is looking to house several fighters that want to make a career in MMA. He calls it the "TapOut Ranch" and has dedicated an entire wing for fighters wanting to live and train with world class talent. He lives there with fellow fighter, and good friend, Leonard GarciaLeonard Garcia
Leonard Garcia is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He previously fought for the UFC in the lightweight division before moving down to the featherweight division in the World Extreme Cagefighting...
Mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
- Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- Won Fight Of The Night Honors (One time)
- Won Knock Out Of The Night Honors (One time)
- Won Submission Of The Night Honors (One time)
- World Extreme CagefightingWorld Extreme CagefightingWorld Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
- Fight of the Night (Five times)
- SherdogSherdogSherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
- 2009 Fight of the Year (against Ben HendersonBen Henderson (fighter)Benson Henderson is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Henderson, a former WEC Lightweight Champion, is known for his aggressive style and his ability to escape from deep submission attempts...
) - 2008 Round of the Year (against Rob McCulloughRob McCulloughRobert Alexander McCullough IV is an American Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was a five-time World Muay Thai Champion, and is a former WEC Lightweight Champion. He currently trains out of Huntington Beach, CA at HB Ultimate Training Center...
, Round 1)
- 2009 Fight of the Year (against Ben Henderson
- World MMA Awards
- 2011 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year
Muay ThaiMuay ThaiMuay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
- 2006 S-1 United States Muay Thai champion
- 2006 Dominion Warrior Light Heavyweight World champion
Mixed martial arts record
|-| Win
|align=center| 17–3 (1)
| Dennis Siver
Dennis Siver
Dennis D. Siver ; born January 13, 1979) is a Russian-German mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of July 2011, Siver is ranked as the #8 lightweight fighter in the world by MMAWeekly...
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC 137
UFC 137
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 29, 2011 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:22
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 16–3 (1)
| Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Oliveira has mainly fought in small Brazilian promotions until his move to the UFC.-Early career:...
| TKO (punches)
| UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:01
|Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 15–3 (1)
| Vagner Rocha
Vagner Rocha
Vagner Rocha is a Brazilian-American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and professional mixed-martial artist, currently competing as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Mixed martial arts career:...
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 131
UFC 131
UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 14–3 (1)
| Paul Kelly
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UFC 126
UFC 126
UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:48
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 13–3 (1)
| Chris Horodecki
Chris Horodecki
Christopher Horodecki is a Polish-Canadian mixed martial artist. He is best known for his fights in the WEC and the IFL.-Mixed martial arts career:Horodecki was born in Poland and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada...
| Submission (triangle choke)
| WEC 53
WEC 53
WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on December 16, 2010 at Jobing.com Arena in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. The event was the first time that Zuffa has hosted an event in Arizona...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:43
|Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–3 (1)
| Jamie Varner
Jamie Varner
James Christopher Varner is a mixed martial artist who fought for World Extreme Cagefighting. He is a former WEC Lightweight champion.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...
| Decision (unanimous)
| WEC 51
WEC 51
WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on September 30, 2010 at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event was the first that the WEC hosted in Colorado.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Broomfield, Colorado
Broomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 11–3 (1)
| Benson Henderson
Ben Henderson (fighter)
Benson Henderson is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Henderson, a former WEC Lightweight Champion, is known for his aggressive style and his ability to escape from deep submission attempts...
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| WEC 48
WEC 48
UFC Presents: Aldo vs. Faber, also referred to as WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on April 24, 2010 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:57
|Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, United States
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|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–2 (1)
| Ed Ratcliff
Ed Ratcliff
Edward Norris Ratcliff is an American mixed martial artist. He was recently cut by UFC in January.-World Extreme Cagefighting:Ratcliff debuted at WEC 27, defeating Johnny Sampaio via TKO in the second round....
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| WEC 45
WEC 45
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on December 19, 2009 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. It marked the first time the WEC has held back-to-back events at The Pearl at The Palms. The event drew an estimated...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 3:47
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
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|-
| Loss
|align=center| 10–2 (1)
| Benson Henderson
Ben Henderson (fighter)
Benson Henderson is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Henderson, a former WEC Lightweight Champion, is known for his aggressive style and his ability to escape from deep submission attempts...
| Decision (unanimous)
| WEC 43
WEC 43
WEC 43: Cerrone vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on October 10, 2009 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 5
|align=center| 5:00
|San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, United States
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|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–1 (1)
| James Krause
James Krause (fighter)
James Krause is an American mixed martial artist. A veteran of WEC's lightweight division, he suffered his first loss in his WEC debut against Donald Cerrone at WEC 41...
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| WEC 41
WEC 41
WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on June 7, 2009 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. It was the most successful show in the WEC's history....
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:38
|Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 9–1 (1)
| Jamie Varner
Jamie Varner
James Christopher Varner is a mixed martial artist who fought for World Extreme Cagefighting. He is a former WEC Lightweight champion.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...
| Technical Decision (split)
| WEC 38
WEC 38
WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on January 25, 2009. It aired live on the Versus Network....
|
|align=center| 5
|align=center| 3:10
|San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–0 (1)
| Rob McCullough
Rob McCullough
Robert Alexander McCullough IV is an American Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was a five-time World Muay Thai Champion, and is a former WEC Lightweight Champion. He currently trains out of Huntington Beach, CA at HB Ultimate Training Center...
| Decision (unanimous)
| WEC 36
WEC 36
WEC 36: Faber vs. Brown was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on November 5, 2008 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–0 (1)
| Danny Castillo
Danny Castillo
Daniel "Danny" Alfonso Castillo is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Castillo has made a name for himself fighting in California. He currently fights at lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championships, and...
| Submission (armbar)
| WEC 34
WEC 34
WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on June 1, 2008 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. The main event, announced on WEC 33, was a bout between Jens Pulver and Urijah Faber for the WEC Featherweight Championship. WEC 34...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:30
|Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, United States
|
|-
| NC
|align=center| 7–0 (1)
| Kenneth Alexander
| No Contest: Overturned by NSAC
| WEC 30
WEC 30
WEC 30: McCullough vs. Crunkilton was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting . The event took place on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and aired live on the Versus Network....
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:56
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–0
| Yasunori Kanehara
| Submission (triangle choke)
| GCM: Cage Force 3
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:46
|Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
| Anthony Njokuani
Anthony Njokuani
Anthony Obinnia Njokuani is a Nigerian mixed martial artist who currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Early life:...
| Submission (triangle choke)
| ROF 29: Aftershock
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:30
|Broomfield, Colorado
Broomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
| Ryan Roberts
| Submission (armbar)
| ROF 28: Evolution
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:49
|Broomfield, Colorado
Broomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
| Jesse Brock
| Submission (triangle choke)
| ROF 26: Relentless
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:35
|Castle Rock, Colorado
Castle Rock, Colorado
The Town of Castle Rock is the county seat of Douglas County, Colorado, United States and is named for the prominent castle tower-shaped butte near the center of town. It is part of Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor and is located roughly 28 miles south of Denver and 37 miles north of...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
| Craig Tennant
| Submission (armbar)
| ROF 24: Integrity
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:26
|Castle Rock, Colorado
Castle Rock, Colorado
The Town of Castle Rock is the county seat of Douglas County, Colorado, United States and is named for the prominent castle tower-shaped butte near the center of town. It is part of Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor and is located roughly 28 miles south of Denver and 37 miles north of...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
| Cruz Chacon
| Submission (triangle choke)
| ACF: Genesis
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:25
|Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
| Nate Mohr
Nate Mohr
Nate Mohr is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division.He made his UFC debut in April 2007 against Kurt Pellegrino. He was sidelined over a year due to a leg injury following his loss by achilles lock to Manny Gamburyan at UFC 79. He lost his last fight at UFC 93...
| Submission (triangle choke)
| ROF 21: Full Blast
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:42
|Castle Rock, Colorado
Castle Rock, Colorado
The Town of Castle Rock is the county seat of Douglas County, Colorado, United States and is named for the prominent castle tower-shaped butte near the center of town. It is part of Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor and is located roughly 28 miles south of Denver and 37 miles north of...
, United States
|