Donald Cerrone is thrilled to be entering the UFC Hall of Fame.
The announcement caught Cerrone (36-17 MMA, 23-14 UFC) off guard during the UFC on ESPN 43 event at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. When the announcement was being made, Cerrone’s wife and children stepped out to join him cageside, adding a special touch to the occasion.
“Throughout my career, everyone says ‘Future Hall of Famer, future Hall of Famer.’ It just like rattles off, you know?” Cerrone said.
“It’s just words. It’s not a real thing until it’s a real thing, you know? It’s crazy. Man, I’m taken away and honored, to be honest. I don’t really have words to express. … I had no clue my family was even here, so that was another surprise.”
“Now it’s sinking in to be like, ‘Yeah, I’m in the Hall,’” Cerrone said.
“It’s cool, it’s an honor, man. I mean, you look across any major league sport, the Hall of Famers, that’s an important thing, man. To be with the greats of Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Urijah, the list goes – it’s not that big of a list, to be honest with you, in our game. To be hanging on the wall at the PI, it’s going to be cool.”
“I miss the camaraderie, I miss all you guys back here, I miss this, I miss the training with the groups and getting ready, but being in there and fighting, I don’t” Cerrone said.
“It was time. It was time to bow out, and like I said, I’m going to Hollywood, man. That’s my next plan, that’s the next mission. I enjoy moving forward with all that, and loving the adventure I’m on now, but there’s days where I think back like, ‘Man, do we have one more in us? Do go back for two and have 50?’”
“I got my hair done, so my hair is growing in, and got on steroids, so I couldn’t come back if I wanted to right now,” Cerrone said.
“I feel good right now. I’m healthy, happy, and just enjoying a lot of time with the kids and them growing up with the family, and like I said, chasing Hollywood – which is a lot like starting from the very beginning of wanting to be a UFC fighter again, is how I feel. I just re-entered that realm again, so let’s strap the boots on, let’s go.”
