Is Cowboy Really a "Legend"?

[xn7]

Lets see.

#2 all time most UFC fights with 38
#2 all time most UFC wins with 23
#2 all time most finishes with 16
#2 all time most significant strikes landed
#1 all time most knockdowns
#1 all time most bonuses

I'd say it's safe to say yes.

so basically all those stats have to do with having a lot of fights. amazing!

 

[JonJonesNeedle]

No, he got decimated by Ralphie Dos Nachos in like a minute at LW, and by Conor in like 40 seconds at WW.

Cowgirl is a can

 

[JonJonesNeedle]

Just kidding, of course he's a legend

 

[welcometohavoc]

people like to throw out these hyperbolic terms once someone retires (or dies).

you have sherdoggers acting like they weren't just calling Cowboy a bum a month ago,

and now that he's retired he's one of the best LW's to ever compete?

Cowboy ain't a legend. a good fighter but not a legend. if we make an exception for Cowboy being some legendary fighter, then I guess guys like Joe Lauzon & Gray Maynard are also legends

I don't know if you follow other sports but let me just say that in pretty much every sport, if a guy were #2 in games played/wins/etc he would be a shoe in for the HOF.

Cerrone might not have won a title but the guy had incredible longevity at the highest level

 

[Hellowhosthat]

so basically all those stats have to do with having a lot of fights. amazing!

90% of UFC fighters don't manage to get to 10 fights, so managing to stick around for nearly 40 is significant.

 

[Blacksonville]

Champion and legend aren't the same thing.
He an iconic fighter of his era. Not a world beater, but highly entertaining, always game, always available to fight and lasted a very long time.
He's a HOFer for sure, ergo a legend.

 

[xn7]

90% of UFC fighters don't manage to get to 10 fights, so managing to stick around for nearly 40 is significant.

sure but it doesn't make someone a legend.

 

[Gio]

Donald Cerrone has fought on Spike, Versus, FUEL TV, pay-per-view, FOX, FS1, UFC Fight Pass, ESPN, and ESPN+ during his UFC tenure.

-Cerrone competed in his 38th UFC bout for the 2nd most appearances in company history.
-Cerrone made his 48th UFC/WEC appearance, the most in combined organizational history.
-Cerrone’s 48 appearances in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are most in combined organizational history.
-Cerrone made his 15th UFC welterweight appearance. He’s 6-8 with one no contest when fighting in the weight class.
-Cerrone’s 27 appearances since 2014 in UFC competition are most in the company.
-Cerrone’s 23 victories in UFC competition are the 2nd most in company history.
-Cerrone’s 29 victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are most in combined organization history.
-Cerrone’s 17 victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Jim Miller.
-Cerrone’s 16 stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied for 2nd most in company history.
-Cerrone’s 20 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC competition are the most in combined organizational history.
-Cerrone’s 20 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are tied with Wanderlei Silva for second most in combined organizational history behind Mirko Cro Cop (21).
-Cerrone’s seven knockout victories stemming from kicks in UFC competition are most in company history. No one else has more than four.
-Cerrone’s 20 knockdowns landed in UFC competition are most in company history.
-Cerrone has landed 391 leg kicks in UFC competition, the second most in company history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (488).
-Cerrone’s 23 fight-night bonuses in UFC/WEC bouts are the most in combined organizational history.
-Cerrone’s 18 fight-night bonuses in UFC bouts are tied for most in company history.
-Cerrone is the only fighter that has fought 4x in a calendar year, 6x, stepping up on days/weeks notice, snatching wins and bonuses, stealing the show, and saving cards with his highlight reel finishes.

There is no one like Cowboy Cerrone who really lived up the any time, any where, any weight mentality.

 

[jnes]

He's maintained a reputation as a fighter that is willing to fight all comers at any time, and always put on a good show, win or lose. So by that standard, he could be a legend. Not all legends are A1 Giga-Chads like Conor.

That being said, Conor stole Cowboy's soul with their fight.

His soul was long gone before Conor

 

[Hellowhosthat]

sure but it doesn't make someone a legend.

No, but doing that plus an exciting fighting style, plus an anyone/anywhere attitude, plus fighting multiple relevant fighters across two divisions, plus multiple highlight reel finishes does.

 

[bogeyj]

Lauzon is absolutely a legend of the sport. As is Cowboy. Jim Miller too. You don’t have to be champ to leave your mark on the sport.

you have low standards if you think those guys are legends

but I guess everyone gets a trophy nowadays

 

[Chillez]

I don’t think so but I can see the case for Cowboy as a legend he had ton of fights and pretty good longevity.

 

[bogeyj]

Lets see.

#2 all time most UFC fights with 38
#2 all time most UFC wins with 23
#2 all time most finishes with 16
#2 all time most significant strikes landed
#1 all time most knockdowns
#1 all time most bonuses

I'd say it's safe to say yes.

Neil Magny has the most wins ever at WW

is he a legend too?

 

[davidj5491]

If you don't think Cowboy is a legend of the sport then you're obviously new to MMA and need to do some research.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Neil Magny has the most wins ever at WW

is he a legend too?

I don't believe Magny is near the top for most finishes or bonuses.

 

[PurpleDrank]

Ya i think he is. At his best he was top 10 at lw and ww. Plus his longevity.

 

[Bojka]

I wouldn't call him a legend. He's a tier below that.

Someone like Arlovski would be a better example of a legend in large part due to his longevity.

 

[Applehead]

Definitely. The longevity. I remember watching him all of the way back in 2008 in the WEC fighting “Razor” Rob McCullough. He was always someone I kept an eye on. He had a really good career. Yeah, he never captured a championship, but a lot of fighters don’t reach that spot. He’s an iconic figure in the sport if you think about it. His appearance, the nickname, etc. If you bring up a fighter who wears a cowboy hat, everyone will immediately know who you’re talking about. There could be another fighter nicknamed “Cowboy,” but everyone would immediately assume you’re talking about Cerrone. Even Oliveira, you have to differentiate and call him “Cowboy Oliveira” because just simply saying “Cowboy” is synonymous with Donald Cerrone. That may seem minuscule, but that makes a fighter a “legend” to me as much as the wins and losses do. There was about a 2-year window there from 2013-2015 where Cowboy was the second best 155-pounder on the UFC’s roster. Unfortunately, RDA had his number, but RDA is a legend in his own right.

 

[Schoolboy Q]

Yep he’s a legend.

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

Nope. He just had a long career and was a fan friendly fighter. The criteria for legend should be high.

I'd say he's worthy of the Hall of Fame though for his longevity and number of fights.