Suddenly political Donald Cerrone tells MMA fans to get off their butts and vote

Perennial UFC lightweight contender Donald Cerrone said he didn’t vote from age 21 to 25.

Now, he’s pro-union, pro-pot legalization, anti-Hilary Clinton, and he’ll cast his ballot on those stances when Nov. 8 rolls around.

Cerrone (31-7 MMA, 18-4 UFC), who faces Kelvin Gastelum (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) four days after “Decision 2016” at UFC 205, admitted he’s a lot more opinionated than he used to be. He’s also a lot more opinionated on others having an opinion, and doing their civic duty.

“You can’t have a voice if you don’t vote,” he said during a recent media luncheon that was covered by our partners at Champions.co. “You can’t just sit on the sidelines and talk (expletive) and not be active in your community. If you really think that Hilary or (Donald) Trump is the way to go, be heard. Go vote.”

Cerrone, a onetime lightweight challenger who’s currently the No. 14 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, already cast his for Trump, whom he met at a recent rally. His training partner, UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy, vouched for him despite an apparently sketchy background check (via Instagram):

“I really wanted to check out his toupee, so that’s what I was really creeping on,” joked Cerrone, who faces off with No. 15 Gastelum on the pay-per-view main card of the Nov. 12 event at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Trump has long been an avid supporter of MMA and the UFC; promotion president Dana White stumped for the Republican candidate at the Republican National Convention.

Cerrone said Trump chatted up the fighters and now-former UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. He said the casino magnates “probably made a nice little donation.”

Cerrone had a strong relationship with the Fertittas, but said when it comes to the promotion’s new owners, it’s time the fighters band together. “Cowboy” might support the billionaire businessman Trump, but he drifts to the left when it comes to fighting politics.

“We need a fighters union, one thousand, one million percent” he said. “Especially with the new owners coming in, now’s the time. Not just because of pay. There’s health insurance and retirement.

“We’re one of the only sporting leagues without a union. We don’t have a direction. We don’t have anyone to stand up for the fighter’s rights if something happens.”

Not afraid to speak up about what he believes, Cerrone even offered to be the face of a union – or more accurately, an association, as fighters are independent contractors and thus unable to unionize. He claimed to have meetings set up by several groups that are trying to organize fighters.

After 32 appearances under the Zuffa umbrella, he thinks he’s earned his right to sit at the table.

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