Dana White separates Nate Diaz, left, and Donald Cerrone on Wednesday
Diaz knocks Cowboy’s hat off during press conference
LAS VEGAS – The second Donald Cerrone‘s Stetson hit the ground, the UFC 141 co-main event went from a heated matchup to on fire.
During their face-off after the press conference for UFC 141 on Wednesday at the MGM Grand, Nate Diaz responded to some Cerrone comments by swatting “Cowboy’s” trademark Stetson hat off his head.
UFC president Dana White quickly jumped between the two fighters as main event heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem looked on from behind him.
“He was trying to tip his hat into my face and I’m no punk who will take that,” Diaz said Wednesday night in a release. “He was mumbling some stupid crap about me needing to bring it. He don’t even believe what he’s saying. He’s trying to find confidence from somewhere. I’ll knock something else off his head Friday.”
Cerrone, who has won six straight fights, including his first four in the UFC – all in 2011 – said the press conference stage was no place for retaliation.
“I’m not getting paid to fight today,” Cerrone said. “I get paid on Friday when it counts. Let’s see if he’s brave enough to swat my hat off on Friday. Let’s see if he even comes close. Today, I acted like a professional. Friday, I’m gonna make him pay.”
After the press conference, White told a small group of assembled media members that he didn’t anticipate anything happening between the two lightweights on the stage – even though there is bad blood between the two from an October incident.
“I thought they were going to be cool,” White said. “They were talking cool at the press conference, and no one was saying anything crazy. So I wasn’t expecting that. That’s going to be a fun fight. It was so fast, I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t like when they touch each other (before the fight). Cerrone said something like, ‘I’m gettin’ in that ass tomorrow’ or something like that, and that’s why (Diaz) did it.”