UFC Fight Night 151 (Ottawa): Cerrone vs. Iaquinta

By Alex AFM
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Updated: May 9, 2019

Published by: Alex “AFM” Minor

On Saturday, May 4, 2019, the UFC touched down in Ottawa, Canada for a pivotal matchup amongst the highly competitive lightweight division. At the head of this Canadian card, the no-nonsense, top contender/real estate agent, “Raging” Al Iaquinta, would stand across the octagon from the record-breaking, fan favorite, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Going into this matchup Iaquinta was coming off of a strong victory over his fellow top contender and bitter rival, Kevin Lee. Before that bout, Iaquinta stepped in on short-notice to challenge current champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, in a bout that he would lose. Nevertheless, his performance raised his stock tenfold due to his ability to fight off takedowns and avoid a complete mauling, like so many had suffered before him. On the other hand, Cowboy Cerrone had just recently made his way back to the lightweight division after a 10-fight stint in the welterweight division. Upon his first fight back, Cowboy showcased his newfound determination to make a title run by defeating promising prospect, Alexander Hernandez, in brutal fashion, via second round knockout. This fight with Iaquinta would be his second fight back in his original weight class and another chance to prove that he is focused on the gold.

The first two rounds of the fight were quite closely contested. In the first round, Cowboy was landing good straight punch combinations, and quick kicks, while Iaquinta pressed the boxing distance constantly, landing hard hooks when he could get in range. The biggest moment of the round was a well-timed head kick from Cerrone that caught Iaquinta as he was shooting for the legs. The second round was even more interesting as Iaquinta managed to rock Cerrone several times with big hooking combinations. Nevertheless, Cowboy remained more active than Iaquinta as he landed straight punches, teeps to the mid-section, and leg kicks.

In the third round, the momentum shifted drastically in the favor of Cowboy Cerrone. “Cowboy” came out sitting on hard jabs, rocking Iaquinta several times, and beating up his arms with back-to-back high kicks. Iaquinta’s face was matted with blood by the end of the round. The fourth round was even more dominant for Cerrone as he beat Iaquinta with lead hooks, blitzing straight punch flurries, and two front kicks straight to the chin (one of which that dropped Iaquinta to the mat). In the last round, Cerrone continued to gain momentum as he kept distance with jab-straight-hook combinations, battered Iaquinta with straight punch flurries, and finished the round with a bit of ground and pound.

Upon Bruce Buffer’s announcement of Cowboy’s unanimous decision victory, Donald Cerrone had officially broken his own UFC records once again with 23 wins, 20 knockdowns, and 16 performance bonuses. When asked what was next for the record-breaking veteran, Cowboy clarified that his only interests were in a title fight or a fight with Conor McGregor on the 4^th of July. Considering the fact that current champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov, is already expected to fight interim champ, Dustin Poirier, the Conor McGregor bout is much more feasible. Conor is coming off of a loss, Cowboy is a big name, and both fighters love to bang. Nevertheless, this matchup was extensively discussed after Cerrone’s previous fight, but ultimately fell flat due to Conor McGregor’s erratic behavior and unwillingness to make a commitment. Perhaps this time will be different. Fans can only hope that such a blockbuster matchup would finally make its way into the octagon.

Official Results