Donald Cerrone (photo via UFC / YouTube)

By FCF Staff

Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone are going to fight at welterweight on January 18th, and “Cowboy” has thanked the former lightweight champ for making that the case.

Leading up to the announcement that McGregor is going to fight Cerrone at UFC 246, the expectation was that his return would be at 155. But, ultimately the bout was booked for welterweight.

In the “More Than a Cowboy” docu-series featuring Cerrone, the latter had this to say about the fact the bout will be at 170 (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“He just took the edge off,” said Cerrone.” “A lot of cutting that weight, … making it to fight week is just battling the weight cut, but now we get to go in there and have fun. Oh, man. Thank you!”

“That was Conor’s idea,” Cerrone said. “We were already gearing up, trying to get down towards 155, and he said let’s do it at ’70 and I was like, ‘Done. OK’. It never mattered to me – weight never mattered to me either.

“The only problem me fighting … when I was up at ’70, are those guys are big. Big, big. I’m like 177 right now, 178, and that’s like eating whatever I want. I think he wants to enjoy the holidays with his family and eat and drink, get in there and have fun, so I don’t blame him. Why not?”

The 36-year-old Cerrone (36-13) has competed at welterweight multiple times in his career. But, more recently the veteran has dropped losses to lightweight contenders Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje.