By Peter Carroll

Patrick Cote is in the form of his life. Backed by a total of five wins in six outings under the UFC banner as a welterweight, "The Predator" claimed three consecutive wins with his last two victories by knockout.

A former title contender at middleweight, the Canadian wanted a high-profile opponent based on his scintillating performances of late. When the UFC offered him Donald Cerrone, he couldn’t have asked for someone better.

“I wanted a big name or someone that was in the top 10 rankings coming off three three wins and two knockouts. I think I’ve got the best of those two worlds with Cerrone,” Cote said. “Everybody knows him. He’s everywhere. He’s a big name even now that he’s trying to make a new life for himself at 170 lbs. He’s a very tough fight.

"He recently fought for the lightweight title against Rafael Dos Anjos. I was really happy to get him as an opponent.”



Watching "Cowboy" from a distance over the last few years, Cote noticed chinks in the fan favorite’s armor. For the 36-year-old, the most notable weakness in Cerrone’s game is he crumbles under pressure. But that’s not the only thing he picked up on.

“He’s a slow starter,” Cote said. “He’s very flat-footed when you put pressure on him and he doesn’t move his head at all. He’s a pretty easy target once you have boxing skills and you’re able to put together combinations with your hands.

“He has so much experience that you can’t really underestimate him, though. He is very creative with his Muay Thai combinations and that’s something that we have been looking at. Every time he gets a lot of pressure put on him he crumbles. That’s no secret. He’s fought so many times and there are so many videos of him that we can watch, but every time it’s the same thing. Every time he has a lot of pressure on him, he breaks. That’s what we want to do.”

More than with any opponent Cote has faced, he feels the need for urgency against Cerrone. As far as he is concerned, the thrill-seeking fighter gains momentum as contests wear on. For that reason, he’s focusing on getting the June 18 meeting over in the opening five minutes.

Known for his striking, Cote noted Cerrone will not be used to having a bigger man hit him as frequently and as powerfully as he intends to when they clash on Ottawa.

“I have to establish a rhythm very early," Cote said. "I have to put a pace on him immediately. Every minute of the fight that goes by he will get better and better. From the very first bell, I’m going to have to rush him.

“In my head, this fight cannot leave the first round. That’s what I want to do. If it goes to the second or third round, I’m still in good shape. There’s no problem with that. I know I can do that, but I want to put the type of pressure on him where it’s all about getting him out of there in one round. We’re going to put him on the back foot. When he’s on the back foot, every time he’s been in the situation he has had no success.

"He’s going to know how hard the guys at 170 hit compared to the guys at 155," he said. "Especially me, I’m going to have about 20 pounds over him on the fight night. He’s not going to like that.”



When asked what he thought of Cerrone moving up to welterweight, Cote was adamant the Jackson-Winkeljohn proponent’s failings at lightweight drove him into the new weight class. Cote outlined several incidents where Cerrone had a chance to propel his career, only to fall when the opportunity presented itself.

Knowing that Cerrone wants to scale the ranks at welterweight to give himself the opportunity for a title at a new weight class, Cote is confident Cerrone's welterweight aspirations will screech to a halt at the TD Place arena.

“He wasn’t able to be a champion at 155," Cote said. "Every time he has a big fight on his hands he buckles under the pressure. He supposed to get a title fight after he fought Nate Diaz and he got beaten really badly. When he finally got the shot at the title, he got crushed. Every time he reaches a moment that could have a massive impact on his career, he always loses.

“It’s not going to be any easier at 170. I’m in his way and I’m not going to let him pass.”