Tim Kennedy explains why he wouldn’t fight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has carved out a reputation as the guy you call when a fighter pulls out of a bout and you need somebody to replace them. Over the course of his incredible career, Cowboy has accepted a seemingly endless list of short-notice fights. He’s the UFC’s original anyone, anywhere, anytime guy.

But who do you call when Cowboy is left without an opponent, as he recently was when Kelvin Gastelum missed weight for their planned UFC 205 bout? Well, you certainly don’t call UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy.

Kennedy, who was also left without a fight at UFC 205 at the last minute, was recently asked by a fan if he would have accepted a short-notice bout with Cowboy. His answer? A hard “no.”

The middleweight star gave three reasons for his unwillingness to fight Cowboy.

First and foremost is the fact that he and Cowboy are close friends, and we know that fighters are often reluctant to play punch-face with their buddies. The second reason for his reluctance to fight Cowboy is the size difference between them. Kennedy, after all, is a pretty hefty middleweight. Cerrone, meanwhile, is a slim welterweight who spent the majority of his career in the lightweight division. As Kennedy explained, he outweighs his friend by something in the area of 40 pounds. The third and final reason that Kennedy wouldn’t fight Cowboy is that he’s not confident he’d beat him – or as he puts it “I do not want another loss on my record.”

Check out Kennedy’s full response below:

No. 1st he is a friend. 2nd I weigh 40 lbs more than him. 3rd I do not want another loss on my record. https://t.co/uqBpzd9Lg6

— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) November 22, 2016

Having had their UFC 205 bouts cancelled, Cowboy and Kennedy are both scheduled to fight at UFC 206 in Toronto in a few weeks time. Cowboy will be taking on fan favorite brawler Matt Brown. Kennedy, meanwhile, was expected to take on Rashad Evans. Yet just as he was at UFC 205, Evans was forced out of this planned bout when the local athletic commission decided not to give him a license. The UFC is currently seeking out a replacement opponent for Kennedy. Hopefully they know better than to call Cowboy.

Who do you want to see Tim Kennedy fight next? Sound off, PENN Nation!