Living life on his own terms.

You can ask anyone in the MMA world about Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and no doubt most will tell you that the man’s an absolute badass. Cerrone is a man who lives by his own code, someone who doesn’t subscribe to the methods that a fighter “should” adhere to. So what makes Donald Cerrone standout among the MMA elite? Take a look at the list and be enlightened.

Fighting Style

Cerrone has a rough and tumble kind of style that mixes some slick muay thai with some savvy wrestling and an exceptional guard game. Though he tends to be a bit of a slow starter, as the fight moves on Cowboy tends to grow more and more dangerous. His striking grows more precise as he slowly picks his opponent apart with his diverse kicking game. Frankly, once Donald Cerrone gets going it’s like watching a video game character in the way that he pulls off his combos.

Worked his way up from the Bottom

In terms of his kickboxing and MMA career, Donald Cerrone truly started from the bottom of the sport. His hard nosed style was developed over the course of many years as he went through a baptism of fire to become the wrecking ball he is today. Like many other fighters during the earlier years of the sport, Cerrone has fought in many different kinds of venues from events that looked like they were slapped together in someone’s backyard all the way to the fighting in the WEC and eventually the UFC. Cowboy has earned the success he’s attained every step of the way.

Attitude

If you’re a fan of mixed martial arts then you likely understand just how hard it is to compete in the sport. The kind of schedule these warriors keep is pretty insane, basically living in the gym and working for multiple hours a day, much like the average person does at their day job. Despite all of that Cowboy always manages to find the time to have fun and do what makes him happy. That includes extreme sports and drinking beer to boot. As someone whose had to cut weight before for a match it’s hard to imagine that someone could drink a case of beers and still go out and perform the way that Cerrone does come fight day.

Mental Approach

There was a time that Donald Cerrone used to let the bright lights affect him come fight day. Performances against Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis saw a more gun shy Cowboy take to the stage, almost apprehensive to pull the trigger. These days however Cerrone has changed things in his life. I mentioned before about the drinking and the extreme sports, things that most fighters would refuse to do during a fight camp. It seems like those very same activities are what has made Cerrone perform so well over the last couple of years. There’s nothing worse for a fighter than not being their true self inside and outside of the cage or ring. Cerrone has found that though his methods may not be traditional, they work for him and that’s an important element that boosts his mental game. Cerrone knows exactly who he is and whether others around him agree or not, being true to himself is what has brought him to the pinnacle of the sport. What’s your thoughts on Donald Cerrone? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter.