In October, Donald Cerrone announced the end of his retirement from MMA and has now confirmed that he will return to compete in the sport that made him famous. Out of action since 2022, the American fighter has now announced that he is returning to the UFC’s required anti-doping testing pool. It should be noted that ‘Combat Sports Anti-Doping,’ the agency responsible for the UFC’s anti-doping program, confirmed that ‘Cowboy’ returned to the testing group intending to compete again in the Octagon.

In fact, according to the database of ‘Dr-g-Free Sport International,’ Donald Cerrone was tested once in the current season. Excited, the veteran stated that he would be ready to fight in mid-2025. Taking to his social media, he wrote, “Probably June, July we will make the comeback. Coming back for two more. Just two more. I want 50 fights in the UFC.” It is true that Dana White, president of the UFC, disapproved of the professional’s return to MMA and ruled out having any interest in signing him. However, Cerrone, 41, was optimistic about representing the organization again and even indicated that he should fight at middleweight. But should Dana White let it happen? Here are three reasons why Dana White is right to oppose Donald Cerrone’s UFC return.

Age is catching up for Donald Cerrone

Age is a major deciding factor when it comes to sports. But when it comes to the fight game, it is as crucial as ever. There is a reason why we see many fighters call it quits even before they reach 40. Fighters past the age of 35 are usually considered to be in the twilight of their competitive careers. Aged just 37, Jon Jones has already hinted at retirement and is possibly looking for one or two more fights in the Octagon. Donald Cerrone, on the other hand, is already 41 years old.

Unlike most young fighters in the divisions he competed in, i.e., lightweight and welterweight, the fighter would be much slower and more vulnerable. With the dominance of wrestling as a fighting base, and the meta of high-level strikers currently in the UFC, he would have to defend relentless takedowns and fierce knockout attempts. This will definitely not be an easy task considering the post-pandemic age of fighters. We saw how even an MMA GOAT like Stipe Miocic looked miserable at his final fight, at age 42. Just a year older than Donald Cerrone, Miocic looked way past his prime, and it was the reason why the Euclid, Ohio native called it quits after losing devastatingly at UFC 309.

While Cerrone has repeatedly stated that the only reason for his return is to get his 50th UFC fight, he would have to fight 12 more times, not two as he often states. Unlike what he may have mistakenly quoted, Donald Cerrone has 38 fights in the promotion, not 48. So, Dana White has this major point to remind Cerrone of his probable ill-fated return as well.

Can Donald Cerrone come back from his losing streak?

Donald Cerrone, who will turn 42 in March, retired from MMA in July 2022 after being quickly submitted by his contemporary Jim Miller during the UFC 276 Prelims. The former 155-pound and 170-pound UFC Hall of Famer was already on a six-fight losing streak and hasn’t won a fight since May 2019. That means out of his last ten fights, he suffered six losses, three wins, and one no-contest. Now that he has also been away from action for such a long time, this return would all but ruin his legacy even further.

The news of Cerrone returning was quickly met with Dana White’s disapproval who stated that ‘Cowboy’ is already immortalized in the history of the league and the sport. “He retired. For what? What’s left to prove? If you want to make money, let’s figure something else out. I hate it. When guys retire, they retire for a reason. They don’t just retire because—they retire because they know it’s over. They know it is.” With nothing more to prove and age working against him, it seems like Cerrone could potentially ruin his reputation and record with the return.

Not a lot of opponents Cerrone can beat

Donald Cerrone earlier revealed that he had been taking testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and other performance-enhancing substances for the entire time he had been away from the Octagon. Now, he is joining the drug testing pool after weaning off the substances from his system. Despite this, not many fighters may agree to fight the UFC legend.

Daniel Cormier, one of the most vocal critics of the return, stated his firm disapproval, stating that Cerrone’s actions could set a troubling precedent. It could inspire other fighters to temporarily withdraw from testing protocols, exploit their free time, and return with an unfair advantage. So, not many fighters would agree to face someone who had been doping for so long. Even if we keep the doping aside, there aren’t many fighters of his caliber on the roster that he could face.

Even before his retirement, ‘Cowboy’ was relegated to fighting in the prelims as opposed to on the UFC pay-per-view cards. Now, with most of his peers retired, setting him up against young blood can make it a one-sided affair. Fighting the top 10 of the welterweight (or lightweight) division is all but a pipe dream for the UFC fighter, as he no longer has the youth or tenacity to go toe-to-toe against any of them.

With not many opponents available, making him fight opponents such as Tony Ferguson would only add more scrutiny to the legacy of both fighters. As harsh as it sounds at this point, the return of Donald Cerrone seems like a definite bad idea and one that Dana White isn’t necessarily wrong in standing against. What do you think of this return? Will he find success or is this a disaster waiting to happen? Let us know in the comments down below.