Cerrone: 'I probably should' take McGregor down but 'I don't think I will'
Warning: Story contains coarse language
Donald Cerrone expects to have a stand-up affair with Conor McGregor at UFC 246 on Saturday.
"I probably should, but I don't think I will," Cerrone told ESPN's Brett Okamoto when asked if he'll try to take McGregor down in their welterweight bout. "I like to fight, too. I like to get in there and throw down. Everyone says his standup is amazing, so why not go and test it?"
Many pundits believe Cerrone, a 3-1 underdog, will have the best shot of upsetting the former two-division champion on the ground. "Cowboy" has claimed more than half of his 36 career wins by submission, while McGregor's four pro losses all ended by that method.
"Everyone says, 'You want to just stand with him, you're going to get knocked out. That's such a stupid gameplan, such a stupid decision,'" Cerrone said. "But it's my decision. It's my stupidity. Who the f--- are you to tell me what I can do?"
Cerrone added: "I get to do what I want to do. So yeah, I'm gonna f-----g stand, and I'm gonna play."
The 36-year-old is riding a two-fight skid heading into his bout against McGregor, which will headline the Jan. 18 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Cerrone holds the records for most wins and most finishes in UFC history.