Donald Cerrone has released a training video ahead of his highly anticipated CJJ superfight against Craig Jones.
He describes how the fight came about, his thoughts on the Combat Jiu-Jitsu format, and his strategy for Jones high level leg lock game,
“Eddie Bravo called me. He wants me to take a super fight against hands down the baddest jiu-jitsu artist around right now. I mean, it’s sick. But it’s Combat Jiu-Jitsu, so there’s palm striking. It’s wrestling until you hit the ground but then it’s palm striking and jiu-jitsu, which will be fun.
Hopefully, I can negate him from a heel hook by palm striking him in the face. I don’t know. Me and Jaffa we’re talking about it today, should I put on weight for this or do we not? What do we do? Would it be hard to put on weight just to take it back off? So, I’m not sure what we’re going to do on that aspect of it. I think I’m just gonna walk in and fight him at whatever I am, I don’t care.
I’m excited to go in there and roll with the best. So it’s fun to get something fired up and then use all that fired up energy and then run it into a fight. I’ll be in shape, ready to rock.”
Of course, training with partners of Jones’ caliber is a challenge, but Cerrone is excited for the obstacles ahead, “It’s hard to find somebody to emulate his style. He’s one of the best, if not hands down the best. Especially leglocks and his rear naked game is very impressive…
Going and competing with one of the best, to me that’s unbelievable. Like when I did the last one I got to go in there and roll with Dos Anjos, like of course I’m gonna take that fight. Why not?
I think he might be super interested in my wrestling, especially open mat wrestling..”
Cerrone even went as far to say that he’s more excited about this match up than a UFC fight. He talks about his most recent fights and how they stack up against this opportunity, “Right now I am [more excited about this than a UFC fight] for sure I am. I don’t know, it’s just different, changing it up. And at this level, there’s no shortcut. My last fights, I’ve taken shortcuts and you see it just hasn’t ended well. I got an age and maturity in my training that I just know what I have to do and what it takes to be the cowboy that everyone wants to see fight.
Cancun, December 19th. Craig Jones. This isn’t like just stepping in and doing a little grappling tournament. This is going to the top, so it should be fun.”
The two have rolled before during The Ultimate Fighter, when Craig Jones came in to help to coach. Cerrone said that Jones is good, but that Jones recognized Cerrone’s skill as well, “I’ve only rolled with [Craig Jones] one time at the UFC [Performance Institute], during the TUF finale. He was a coach for the TUF, and I was like ‘hey, man. Let’s do a little rolling.’ He’s very good, but he was sitting there telling his friends that I was good, too.”
The pair will go head to head in Cancun on December 19th at the Combat Jiu-Jitsu Worlds: The Featherweights. Stream the event on UFC Fight Pass.
