Donald Cerrone recently revealed that due to some internal conflict with his longtime home at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he would no longer be training at the famed camp.
“Cowboy” had some not-so-kind words to relay to his old gym, in particular to one of his former coaches, Mike Winkeljohn, whom he accused of being a big part of turning a once-great training facility into a “puppy mill.” Not one to keep his lips sealed, Winkeljohn fired back by saying “Cowboy” was a “narcissistic” man who is only loyal to himself.
Despite the recent beef, Wink chalks it up to a bump in the road, and says he hopes Cerrone eventually returns to the gym that helped him throughout his combat sports career.
“It didn’t change one stroke. The gym is as good as it has ever been, the atmosphere is fantastic and everybody is winning. It’s up, incredible guys in the cage working with each other,” said Mike on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show in regards to the atmosphere following Cerrone’s departure.
“The only person not here is Donald at the moment, but I am hoping in my heart that down the road we can get Donald to come back. Donald is hard-headed, kind of like myself. He has been a big part of our team over the years and it’s a terrible thing that happened and I kind of wish it didn’t happen,” he added.
“But we got a fight coming up with him and Perry. Everybody just has a job to do and we will get through it.”
Winkeljohn will corner Mike Perry when he throws down against Cerrone at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 139 event on Nov. 10, 2018 in Denver, Colorado, which was a big part of Donald’s beef from the jump.
And while coach Wink admits it will be a bit awkward coaching against Cerrone, he still intends to do everything in his power to help “Platinum” get the win over his ex-pupil. Whether or not Cerrone accepts the olive branch from his ex-trainer once the dust settles in “The Mile High City,” is another story.
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