"I'm a little too long in the tooth now to get sucked in by it," Kelly said of trash talking with Cerrone. "Even though I'm still only a baby in the sport, I've been around for a while now."
Cerrone (13-3, 6-3 WEC) fired off a shot about not knowing Kelly. The Brit held back from a verbal war and was actually complimentary of Cowboy.
"He's rangy, he's very rangy. He's got better standup than my past opponents. He's very well-rounded," Kelly said. "I think he talks a lot of trash, which is a little disrespectful, but he'll learn his lessons."
Cerrone has since apologized for the initial comment, saying he's busy and doesn't follow doesn't follow MMA closely.
For Kelly, because of his training and fight schedule, there wasn't much time to engage. Kelly was a winner in November over T.J. O'Brien at UFC 123. He had a few days off then the UFC told him to get ready for UFC 126.
"I got straight back in the gym, I didn't have time to enjoy the luxuries of life. I've had no Christmas. I just take it as just what it is. There's point in moaning or bitching about it. Just get on with it," Kelly said. "I mean everyone else has to do it, don't they? [... ] I'm happy to be employed. I love my job. I wouldn't change it for the world."
Kelly is 5-3 in the UFC, but the fights have only been part of the battle. The other part has been his drop to lightweight. At 5-foot-8, he was small for welterweight, but he does have a big frame. Kelly used to fight as a high as 185 pounds. That's about the weight he still walks around at. Over time, Kelly has trained his body to more easily manage the weight cut. Three weeks ago, he was 169. The cut should be easier this time. Frankly it has to be. Kelly said he's fainted just before the weigh-in at his last two fights.
Cerrone makes his UFC debut as a minus-240 favorite.
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