It’s true. There’s a rumor that Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is taking a “massive boat load” of cash to take a dive in his upcoming fight against Conor McGregor at UFC 246. Of course, there is also rumors that the world is flat, so who can you trust in this flat world?
The rumor has spread to the point that Cowboy has addressed the question publicly in a recent interview with MMAFighting.com.
“Hell no, I’m not bowing down,” Cerrone told MMA Fighting. “There’s a bunch of sh*t going around, people keep telling me ‘I heard you’re getting paid to take a dive.’ There wouldn’t be enough money in the world for someone to pay me to take a dive. I could never look myself in the mirror if somebody paid me to take a dive. Sh*t, never happen. “
MMAFighting.com
That was not enough to silence the rumors however, as the doubters are now saying that Cerrone’s response is further evidence of an attempt to cover-up the planned dive at UFC 246. Like most conspiracy theories in 2019, the source of the rumors all point to MMA Forums and Youtube videos, as the body of evidence.
The Argument for a Cover-up
If we are to play devil’s advocate, I can understand the strong motivation for the UFC to ensure that the biggest star the sport has ever seen, continues on a path back to the top. Event tickets for 246 sold out immediately, racking $10 million in sales, according to Dana White. Mainstream media has also started to once again cover the event, as they’ve done in the past for big McGregor and Rousey fights, bringing in new fight fans.
The Argument for an unlikely Conspiracy
Is the risk really worth the reward for the UFC? I admit that there is plenty of motivation for the UFC to attempt to control the outcome of their fights, but what would happen if they were caught? As Dana White pointed out in the past, “fixing fights is illegal – you go to jail!” He’s right, there is numerous cases of promoters and athletes serving jail time for fixing fights. Maybe you argue that they feel above the law. If jail wasn’t enough, how about tarnishing a brand that took near 30 years to grow to this point. The risk is far outweighing the reward, which is why I personally think it’s absurd to have Cerrone throw the fight. Also, if you’re a avid viewer, you know Cowboy means every word when he says there isn’t enough money in the world to take a dive.
Feel free to give us your thoughts in the comments below.