UFC legend Donald Cerrone sparks controversy for saying he enjoyed watching Russian Muslim fighters get beaten up in the gym
UFC Hall of Fame member Donald Cerrone caused some online hysterics after allegedly posting a video talking about Russian Muslim fighters.
Cerrone, nicknamed "Cowboy," allegedly posted a video discussing how he enjoyed watching fellow UFC alumnus Tim Kennedy beat on fighters who are from Dagestan, Russia. Fighters from the region are known to be particularly dominant in wrestling, with many success stories in mixed martial arts and the UFC.
Particularly, fighters such as Khabib Nurmagomedov or Islam Makhachev are praised. Nurmagomedov retired with an undefeated record and is seen as one of the best fighters of all time. Makhachev is currently the UFC 155-pound champion at the time of this writing.
'I hate them, but there's nothing I can do. I'm 155 pounds.'
In a video clip that was uploaded to X by outlet MMA Mania, Cowboy explained how he would revel in watching Kennedy "annihilate" fighters from that region while in his former gym, Jackson Wink MMA Academy.
"My favorite thing about Tim Kennedy is he's as American as apple pie. So we're at Jackson's, and if any of the Russian Muslim fighters would come in, old Timmy would take it upon himself to just take down, smother, and absolutely destroy these dudes," Cerrone said.
Cerrone continued, stating that due to his size, he wasn't able to throw around the Russians the same way Kennedy could.
"I'd be sitting there going, 'Get them, Tim.' He would annihilate them, and I'd love it. He would smile and laugh and rub their face in the mat. He'd do malicious s***. I’d be like, 'F*** yeah, Tim, that's what I'm talking about.' He'd come back and be like, 'I hate them.' I'd say, 'Me too. I hate them, but there's nothing I can do. I'm 155 pounds. That dude is 200 pounds, and you've just destroyed him.'"
Dagestan's best fighters are typically of the lower weight classes, especially Cerrone's, and this is likely the reason the fighter could not do his own bidding. Cerrone is a legendary fighter but was never able to win a title, finishing with a 36-17 record.
The original video of Cerrone's remarks was apparently uploaded to his YouTube channel but was seemingly deleted over the controversy. The exact reason is unknown. Neither Cerrone nor Kennedy have released statements on the matter. Cerrone has not used his X page since 2022 and has not addressed the remarks on his Instagram account (where he is active) either.
Cerrone has had a successful post-fighting acting career, appearing in many movies, including the Daily Wire's "Terror on the Prairie" alongside former fighter Gina Carano.
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