Coach: Donald Cerrone ‘said yes’ to short notice fight vs. Mike Perry at UFC 226

Donald Cerrone is known for being willing to fight anyone at any time, and just a week removed from his loss to Leon Edwards in the UFC Singapore main event, “Cowboy” was apparently ready to jump right back into the Octagon for another scrap.

According to his coach Brandon Gibson, Cerrone was asked if he could step in and replace the injured Yancy Medeiros against Mike Perry at next Saturday’s UFC 226, and you can probably guess as to Donald’s answer.

“He got the phone call [this week] to fight Mike Perry and he said yes,” Gibson said to MMA Fighting. “He’s under a medical suspension right now so it’s kind of off the table. His son hadn’t been born yet. Lindsey was probably having contractions. They were at the hospital and he was like, ‘Hey, do you have time to do this? I’m feeling good. I’m ready. I just came off an awesome camp. Mike’s been training out of JacksonWink but no hard feelings. Let’s go put on a show. I’ll step up.’”

As Gibson notes, Cerrone is under a 45-day medical suspension for right temple and scalp lacerations, so the odds of him actually fighting Perry next week were very slim to begin with.

Gibson also revealed that Cerrone’s illness on fight day, which nearly led to him pulling out of the Edwards bout, was caused by food poisoning, but right now he’s “feeling great.”

On Friday, Cerrone’s girlfriend Lindsey Sheffield gave birth to their son, Dacson.

The UFC ultimately went with Paul Felder to take on Perry, and as far as Gibson is concerned, he’d rather Cerrone not continue his trademark active schedule as he enters the twilight of his career.

“I don’t want him fighting five times a year,” Gibson said. “I think those days are over, but he’s always gonna be that, ‘I’ll fight anyone, anywhere, anytime’ kind of guy. Some of these, you’ve just got to get up and ride with ‘Cowboy.’ That’s the life he’s gonna live.”