'Cowboy' Cerrone vs. Patrick Cote being targeted for UFC Fight Night 89 in Ottawa

After a successful debut in the division a month ago, Donald Cerrone will continue his attempt to make a run at welterweight when he takes on Patrick Cote at UFC Fight Night 89.

Cerrone (29-7 MMA, 16-4 UFC) vs. Cote (23-9 MMA, 10-9 UFC) is targeted to co-headline the June 18 event, which takes place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The event is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 and stream on UFC Fight Pass.

Sources with knowledge of the booking confirmed to MMAjunkie the matchup is expected for the organization’s first Canadian event of the year. MMAFighting.com first reported the news.

UFC Fight Night 89 will be headlined by a critical welterweight bout between Canada’s Rory MacDonald and Stephen Thompson, with the winner staying in contention for a shot at the 170-pound title.

After an eight-fight winning streak at lightweight that was halted with a failed bid at the title against champion Rafael dos Anjos in December, “Cowboy” opted to move up to welterweight. His debut in the weight class went perfect when he picked up a slick first-round submission over Alex Oliveira in February’s UFC Fight Night 83 headliner.

Cerrone pushed to replace the injured dos Anjos when he pulled out of a UFC 196 title defense against Conor McGregor earlier this month. However, Nate Diaz was instead chosen for the bout and defeated McGregor by second-round submission.

Cote, meanwhile, has been on a roll since his move to welterweight, which came from the other direction. “The Predator” spent his first 13 UFC fights at middleweight or above before dropping down in weight in March 2013.

Since changing divisions, Cote’s results have been indisputable. He’s 5-1 and has won his past three contests, the most recent of which saw him stop Ben Saunders with strikes in the second round at UFC Fight Night 81 in January.

For more on UFC Fight Night 89, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

view original article >>