Sitting among some of the toughest athletes on the planet, you wouldn’t expect to hear them describe bull riders as “crazy.” But at the Ty Murray Invitational, the BMF Ranch MMA gang said exactly that.
“It’s different with fighting,” explained welterweight fighter Jonavin Webb. “The guy I’m fighting weighs what I weigh — it isn’t me against someone 10 times my size. And people are kind of predictable, these animals aren’t. We want to win, but when the fight is over, it’s over. With this, your opponent could come back and try to kill you after the whistle. It’s crazy.”
Muay Thai coach Henry “Bad Boy” Smith agreed. “This is insane,” he said.
Fighter Jared Gordon agreed. The one person in the BMF Ranch crew who didn’t think it was a lapse of mental judgement to climb atop an angry beast? Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
The UFC Superstar, who has racked up victory after victory as of late, totally understands the appeal of bull riding because he has ridden bulls himself. Not a single fan in the crowd was on his feet as much as Cerrone at the WisePies Arena in New Mexico.
Earlier in the day in Albuquerque, the UFC lightweight superstar joined the Back Seat Buckers (BSB) program, the PBR and ABBI’s turn-key bull ownership program. Cerrone had first been a BSB member in 2013 and when he heard the BSB Bull Draft was going to be in Albuquerque once more, he jumped at the chance to get involved and own a bull once again.
Cerrone and his crew were at Sandia Resort & Casino for the BSB Luncheon and Bull Draft where he consulted with Ross Coleman on which bulls he thought looked good. It’s no surprise that a winner wants to own a winner, and going into the auction Cerrone had some bulls in mind.
Cerrone ultimately chose Lot 45 for $15,000. The Floyd 356 bull was renamed “Not Today.” Not Today is a Black Pearl son; the former ABBI World Champion bull won more than $500,000 during the course of his career. Not Today’s grandfathers are also impressive: Houdini and Cowboy Cash.
“Any money my bull wins this year will be donated to Parker’s Platoon,” explained Cerrrone. “It helps vets with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).” Parker’s Platoon was founded by Colorado Avalanche player Scott Parker. Cerrone’s 2013 BSB bull, “Don’t Tell Dana” won money for The Kevin Harvick Foundation charity. Last season’s BSB Champion was High Noon, a bull belonging to country star Jerrod Niemann, who won more than $100,000 for the charity Freedom Music USA.
Cerrone will next fight at UFC 187 in Las Vegas on May 23. It will be a weekend of adrenaline and extreme action — PBR’s Last Cowboy Standing will be going on at the same time. UFC 187 will take place at MGM Grand, which is also one of the host venues for PBR’s Cowboy Spring Break. Cerrone will face Khabib Nurmagomedov, and we expect “Cowboy” to be the last man standing in the octagon.
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