BOSTON — There’s a reason Donald Cerrone has a reputation as the hardest-working fighter in the UFC.
Cerrone and Benson Henderson will meet for the third time in their careers, this time in the UFC Fight Night 59 co-main event Sunday at TD Garden — just 15 days after Cerrone’s UFC 182 victory over Myles Jury. That marks the fourth-fastest turnaround in UFC history, which most fighters would see as a disadvantage. But most fighters aren’t Cerrone.
“Yeah, but why not (take the fight)?” Cerrone asked during Thursday’s open workout at UFC Gym. “I’m in shape. Ben (Henderson) is a dangerous guy. I shouldn’t take him on short notice, but it kind of works against him as well. He doesn’t expect me on short notice.”
Cerrone has been on the losing end in both encounters with Henderson, but he’s not the same fighter he was when they met four years ago in the WEC. Cerrone is riding a six-fight win streak that has spanned 14 months, and he’s confident he’ll be the one coming out on top this time.
“My mentality (is different),” Cerrone said. “In the first fight, I let Ben just play in my guard for the first two rounds and work for submissions. That s–t won’t be happening (this time).”
Cerrone took a risk accepting the fight just 48 hours after his last victory — something even UFC president Dana White discouraged him to do — but Henderson doesn’t plan on letting his opponent see that gamble pay off.
“Taking a fight on however many days it was, it was a business decision, it was a business gamble,” Henderson said. “We’ll see if it pays off for him. I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”
