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Anthony Pettis, Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh, and a host of other names paid tribute to Donald Cerrone as the octagon legend bowed out of the sport of MMA following his loss to Jim Miller at UFC 276.
'Cowboy' decided it was time for him to hang up the gloves after his submission defeat to Miller. Cerrone went winless in his last seven fights in the promotion. The 39-year-old eventually called time on his illustrious career, prompting fans, fighters, and coaches alike to show their love for the MMA legend.
'Showtime' Pettis is Cerrone's former opponent. They have shared the octagon twice, with the rematch being at UFC 249 in 2020. He lauded 'Cowboy' following his retirement, commenting on Cerrone's Instagram post:
"💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 Legend."
Kavanagh, meanwhile, knows Cerrone very well as his pupil Conor McGregor fought 'Cowboy' in January 2020. McGregor earned a win against the former multi-time title challenger at UFC 246.
Here's what the SBG Ireland chief wrote in the comments section of Cerrone's post:
"👏."
Donald Cerrone delivered an emotional speech as he annonced retirement this past weekend. A fan-favorite throughout his career, 'Cowboy' was visibly emotional about stepping away from the game that has given him recognition.
Watch Donald Cerrone's octagon interview at UFC 276:
Donald Cerrone had a career full of legendary moments
Cerrone joined the UFC back in 2011 from the WEC promotion. He fought a staggering 38 times inside the octagon and picked up wins over some of the biggest stars in the sport, including Eddie Alvarez, Jim Miller, Edson Barboza and Charles Oliveira.
He once held the record of most wins and finishes in UFC history as well. Some fighters promise to fight anybody, anytime, anywhere, and 'Cowboy' was the living embodiment of that spirit.
However, time eventually caught up to Cerrone. Since his UFC 238 loss to Tony Ferguson, Cerrone just couldn't find another win for himself inside the octagon.
