Vancouver Credit: The Metro Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau

Adam Gerber (Opinion) Vancouver, B.C., Canada – Two of the most consummate crowd-pleasing performers square off in a battle for what could be their final chance at a UFC title on Saturday, September 14th. Along this path to the belt lies a potential massive payday against the formerly fan-revered superstar. The notion that neither man in Saturday’s main event has much of a chance at another title run if they lose is not as dramatic as it may seem. Both have high numbers on the fight odometer, and each have only recently decided to seriously chase a UFC title.

Cowboy gets TKO’d for the second time in one fight against Jorge Masvidal Credit: Roy Chenoy USA TODAY Sports

Moving back down to lightweight after a 3-year stint at 170lbs, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone was adamant that this time he was coming for the strap in a serious way. Before, he had relegated himself to fun and exciting fights as the guy who fought 4-5 times a year no matter if the opponent was in front of him or behind him, if it was next week or in two hours. Anytime, anyplace, anywhere, anybody – Cowboy knew a guy, sometimes to the detriment of his career aspirations.

Cowboy during his second loss to then Lightweight Champion, Raphael Dos Anjos Credit: Josh Hedges, Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

His chances for a title shot suffered, and he seemed to grow even more allergic to adding structure towards another run at a belt since his second loss to Raphael Dos Anjos in 2015. He was the fun fight guy, it didn’t matter if he won or lost or who his opponent was because people would tune in to watch him fight. That’s a way to be a winner no matter what, but what if it’ also a way to avoid the pain of true failure through not really trying? What ever it was it would do no more for Cowboy. Supposedly.

Cowboy kicks Al Iaquinta right in his face Credit: Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Since January 2019 he has won against both Alexander Hernandez and Al Iaquinta after going the distance, and was stopped at the beginning of June by Tony Ferguson after the 2nd round. But even though it will go against his resolution to keep from fighting so regularly, if he can get through his fourth fight of the year, against Gaethje, there would be hardly any one that could stand in the way of another chance at UFC gold.

Cowboy experiences the effects of fighting Tony Ferguson (Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski, Associated Press)

Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje came into to the UFC in 2017 as the former WSOF Lightweight Champion, and was committed to his signature barn-burning style to the extent of guaranteeing UFC fans that they would see him get knocked out before he is finished fighting in the promotion. When asked to describe his style of fighting for the uninitiated, Gaethje paints a grisly picture for both himself and his opponents. “I win car crashes,” he says with the tone of voice of a man recollecting what he had for breakfast.

Gaethje’s fight going according to plan against Dustin Poirier (Credit: Raj Mehta USA TODAY Sports)

A masochistic love for taking damage only rivalled by a sadistic love of dealing it back tenfold. He is here to be the most violent and entertaining fighter in the game, and rules his niche with an iron fist. Filling the role is something he could never truly fail at, but just like for Cowboy, it won’t be enough for Gaethje anymore.

Gaethje loses his first car crash against Eddie Alvarez (Credit: FOX Sports)

His first 3 UFC fights ended in KO, with 2 of those occasions ending with Justin on the canvas. He has tempered his aggression after learning twice in a row that it is possible for him to lose a car crash at the highest level of MMA, and he has utilized more patience to create the type of traffic accident he needs to thrive after showing brief moments of brilliance with his brand of violence against top competition.

Edson Barboza crumbles to the pressure (Credit: Bill Streicher USA TODAY Sports)

Both men are running out of time when it comes to a crack at the strap. Cowboy is 36 and has had a 49-fight career (42 UFC/WEC) spanning 13 years. That averages to about 3-4 fights a year over the course of a decade. Gaethje may only be 30 with an 8-year career, but he has built his name off of his disregard for his own safety and ability to absorb damage. Aware of the potential repercussions, he has spoken multiple times about limiting himself to only a handful more car crashes before he retires.

Michael Johnson going through the meat grinder Credit: Brandon Magnus, ZuffaLLC/Getty Images

They are standing with the members of a stacked 155lb division among them, all set to plant their flag and stake their claim for contender-ship in a division finally returning to normalcy for the first time since November 2016. Both Donald and Justin must wrestle with their own self-sabotaging and crowd-pleasing ways in order to navigate the minefield and have a chance at achieving their belated dream.

Cowboy celebrating with his son (Credit: Tom Szczerbowski, USA TODAY Sports)

At this point the only task standing between the winner in Vancouver and a shot at the winner of the impending matchup between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov would be a lucrative bout with a potentially returning Conor McGregor.

Credit: Esther Lin, MMAFighting

Cerrone has his warring words with McGregor dating back to 2015, but as far as I’m concerned Gaethje is the most tantalizing matchup for the Irishman’s return.

The animosity between Cowboy and Conor McGregor dates back to when they were not even in the same weight class (Credit: Zuffa LLC)

Although a showdown with Cowboy would no doubt check all the boxes on the violent spectacle survey, a fight between “The Highlight” and “The Notorious” would rip the survey up into little pieces and shoot it out of a confetti cannon. McGregor is in a position in his career where he needs to decide what his next moves are with care, and what exactly he wants out of this fight game in the long run. It’s more than a question of whether or not he can establish himself as a legitimate lightweight elite, and not just a flash in the pan – it will determine how his name will be written in the history books.

The end of McGregor’s feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov (Credit: Steven R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports)

At the end of the day McGregor shouldn’t be anywhere near a title shot at lightweight right now. He is 1-1 in the division, coming off a dominant loss after challenging for Khabib’s title at UFC 229 in October 2018. He needs to get back in the mix and earn a title shot, not only to prove his validity as a contender at 155lbs but also to test his commitment to the fight game. I personally couldn’t think of any greater commitment to violence than resolving yourself to walking through the meat grinder that is Justin Gaethje. Whether you win or lose the contest, his guarantee is that you will lose a piece of yourself.

Credit: Steven Branscombe, USA TODAY Sports

I swoon just thinking about McGregor’s pressure-counter style dealing with Gaethje’s ungodly force of will determined to chop legs, club heads, and crush organs through rib cages. Can McGregor pick his punch in the chaos Gaethje creates in the cage; even if he can will he be able to crack the near-granite chin through the bull guard before “The Highlight” tramples him? The exiled prodigal matador vs. the sports most effacious bull in a ticking time bomb of a matchup. The consummate counter-sniper must land his shot through the windshield before getting run over by a deranged semi-truck. Just the thought of it gets me buzzing enough to dictate who I’ll be rooting for on Saturday, September 14th in Vancouver.