Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone finally might be getting a UFC title shot. And he wants to do it in Colorado.
The Denver native made a case for himself after beating John Makessi in their lightweight match on May 23 at UFC 187. When Cerrone connected on a devastating kick that broke his opponent’s jaw late in the second round, Makessi threw in the towel.
“Absolutely, Cowboy is definitely the contender,” UFC president Dana White said in a video interview after the fight released by the company. “He’ll fight anybody, anywhere, any time. … He always keeps his composure, he picks his shot, he takes his time. He looked great again. Cowboy is next in line.”
Cerrone made it clear if won the fight, he’d want a title shot and he’d want it in Denver.
“I’ll wait for Denver, Colorado,” he said at the news conference after UFC 187.
Cerrone (28-6) should be next in line for a shot at the belt. He has eight consecutive wins, dating back to Aug. 28, 2013, when he lost to current UFC lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos.
While he’s ranked as the No. 3 contender on UFC’s lightweight rankings, the two fighters in front of him — Anthony Pettis and Khabib Nurmagomedov — are both injured. Even Dos Anjos is hurt.
So Cerrone must wait. But given that he’s already had three fights this year, that rest might be welcome.
The Mile High City would make for a fun backdrop for the bout. The city has a long history in mixed martial arts; McNichols Sports Arena hosted UFC 1 on Nov. 12, 1993, featuring future hall of famers Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock.
Here’s a look at what’s coming up for a few other MMA fighters with Colorado ties:
• Benson Henderson (22-5): Born in Colorado Springs, the former lightweight champion last fought in February, beating Brandon Thatch in his welterweight debut. Henderson said he is .
• Bobby Lashley (12-2): The former WWE superstar-turned-MMA fighter is getting a rematch with heavyweight James Thompson on the Bellator 138 card on June 19. Lashley still performs as a pro wrestler with Total Nonstop Action.
• Brendan Schaub (10-5): The former Colorado Buffaloes football player — and ’01 Overland High graduate — recently dropped down from the heavyweight to the light heavyweight division. No fight has been announced, but he has his work cut out for him in one of the UFC’s toughest weight classes.
• Brandon Thatch (13-2): Coming off a loss against Henderson, Thatch, 29, is set to take on John Howard on July 11 at UFC 189.
• Michelle Waterson (12-4): The Aurora Central grad, who goes by the nickname “The Karate Hottie,” recently signed a contract with UFC. The former Invicta FC atomweight champ is making her UFC strawweight debut on July 12 against Angela Magana.
• Matt Wiman (16-7): The 31-year-old lightweight has won six of his last eight UFC matches. He was scheduled for a fight in March, but had to pull out because of an injury.
• Cat Zingano (9-1): Despite losing to Ronda Rousey for the UFC women’s bantamweight championship, Zingano still is ranked as the division’s No. 1 contender. No fight for Zingano has been announced.
CHEW ON THIS
• Former Colorado Buffaloes Rashaan Salaam and Herb Orvis were named to the Tuesday. Also on the list is former Texas A&M star and fellow Vietnamese-American Dat Nguyen. No relation.
• Don’t look now, but the Colorado Rockies have .
• on the FIFA corruption scandal is spot on.
• at WrestleMania 32? Yes, please.
• Happy 29th birthday to tennis star Rafael Nadal. It wasn’t a great celebration for Rafa, who Wednesday morning. Nadal, a master on the clay court, won nine of the past 10 French Opens.
Joe Nguyen: jnguyen@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joenguyen
