The UFC is loading up on welterweights for its first trip to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The latest 170-pound bout announced for the June 18 fight card is Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs. Patrick Cote.
UFC Fight Night 89 already features an announced headliner pitting Rory MacDonald against Stephen Thompson.
Cerrone (28-7, 1 NC) had been streaking through the UFC’s lightweight division, winning eight straight fights before he ran into a brick wall named Rafael dos Anjos. The lightweight champ made quick work of Cerrone, scoring a TKO stoppage at the 1:06 mark of their UFC on FOX main event in December.
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Not wanting to sit around and lick his wounds, Cerrone made a quick return, headlining UFC Fight Night 83 in February. The bout marked his welterweight debut in the UFC. The move up to 170 pounds paid off, as Cowboy submitted Alex Oliveira midway through the first round to score a Performance of the Night bonus.
Cerrone will try to build on that momentum against Cote (23-9), who has been performing quite well over the past few years.
Having spent the majority of his career at light heavyweight and middleweight, Cote dropped to welterweight in 2013. He is currently 5-1 at 170 pounds, and has won his three most recent bouts.
This could prove to be a huge steppingstone for the winner, as neither Cerrone nor Cote is ever far from entering the championship conversation.
