Donald Cerrone's return to the UFC is getting closer after 'Cowboy' revealed that he has returned to the organization's testing pool two years after his retirement.
In July 2022, Cerrone laced up the gloves in the center of the ring with a 36-17 record and 48 combined UFC and WEC appearances, dating back to 2007.
His departure from the sport came amid a six-fight skid that culminated in a submission loss to fellow veteran Jim Miller.
In October, the 41-year-old fan favorite announced his plan to make two more walks to the cage to reach the 50-fight mark under Zuffa.
And now Cerrone has told Adam 'Pac-Man' Jones that his goal is to return to the Octagon in the summer as a clean fighter.
“I just got back into the testing pool, so I have to be clean for six months,” Cerrone said. 'Probably in June or July we will return.
Donald Cerrone is closing in on a surprising return to MMA as he is now back in the UFC testing pool
Cerrone retired after losing to Jim Miller in 2022, just two fights shy of 50 UFC appearances
UFC boss Dana White has made it clear that he does not want the Hall of Famer to return to the sport.
'I'll be back for two more. Just two more. I want 50 fights (under the) UFC (umbrella).
'I promised the wife, no matter what, no matter what, two more and that's it. I think it will be (at middleweight).'
Representing Albuquerque, New Mexico, Cowboy is one of the most popular and beloved fighters in MMA history. He ranks second in most wins in the UFC with 23 and third in appearances with 38.
However, his career was in free fall before he initially decided to close the door on fighting, and Cerrone failed to win his last nine fights.
The Cowboy's last win was against Al Iaquinta five years ago, before losing its last six games.
UFC boss Dana White openly declared his displeasure at the idea of Cerrone returning to the sport when he revealed the news two months ago.
'I hate it. I hate him,” White said. 'I love him, I hate that. He retired for a reason. For what? If it's about money, he can do something else.'
“He's not going to fight for the rest of his life, he'll always need to make money.” So let's find out now instead of three years from now.
Cerrone lost to a host of big names in his career, including Conor McGregor (left) in 2020.
'Cowboy' retired after losing six fights in a row, but insists he wants to fight two more times.
'Cerrone should not think about fighting again. Cerrone needs to think about what's next. You should have been thinking about it two years ago, but apparently you didn't, and you need to.
But we are here for him. We love Cerrone. We will help in any way we can. I don't want to see him get punched in the face anymore.
The UFC Hall of Famer has previously been open about his use of performance-enhancing drugs during his time away from the sport.
Now back in the testing pool, Cerrone must submit a series of negative tests before he is allowed to fight.
His decision to return to the octagon has drawn a lot of criticism due to his history with steroid use, however, he is looking to prove to bettors that he can kick PEDs.
“I backed out, told them I was going to do my hair and take steroids,” Cerrone wrote on Instagram.
'The number 50 has been on my mind for a while. Working with transcendent for the last two years, taking TRT and a bunch of peptides, we now have a protocol.
'For everyone who says, 'Oh, what if you get in and you'll never be able to get out?' Well, now I have to go out and fight in a few months, so check this out.