Cam Zink goes full MMA with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone
Freerider delivers Stars and Stripes custom YT Capra to the BMF Ranch
After years of pushing, and occasionally exceeding the limits of what is possible on a bike, Cam Zink has shown he can take a hit. Big crashes are one thing. The UFC is a whole different beast.
Tasked with delivering a custom Stars and Stripes-themed YT Capra 29, Zink steps into the octagon with none other than Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
Turns out the Cowboy is into more than MMA. The star UFC fighter is also an avid mountain biker. After hearing the American’s current YT was a little worse for wear, the German brand decided to deliver a new steed.
Zink is tasked with delivering the bike to BMF Ranch (you can watch the video below to find out what that stands for…). The freerider drops in on a day of UFC training with Cowboy.
When the group hits the trails, Zink’s in for a surprise. To level the playing field a bit, and make him feel at home at BMF Ranch, Zink’s trading in the two wheeled pony for a real live horse. It’s the weirdest looking group ride I’ve ever seen, but also looks … fun?
Watch below as Cam Zink delivers Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone his YT Capra 29, then gets into a little MMA training of his own. Curious why a UFC fighter rides mountain bikes? YT chatted with the professional fighter to find out more, which you can read below the video.
YT: Where does your passion for mountain biking stem from?
Cowboy: “Basically, I think someone just suggested ‘let’s go mountain biking’ and we just went for it. I just thought it looked like fun. I just think we caught the wind of the vibe. It is so funny the term ‘It’s like riding a bike’, seems completely wrong to me. When I first bought a mountain bike and started riding, I was like ‘how do I ride a bike?’ Basically, I was relearning everything again. I hadn’t been on a bike in years until about four years ago.
“I enjoy the downhill adrenaline, white-knuckle riding of mountain biking. But I also enjoy the crazy physical side of the uphill climbing, geared towards the training camp. It is just another avenue I can pursue and not be in the gym lifting weights or running. I can use it as a crazy intense leg and endurance work out. It is also great training mentally. You get tired and fatigued going up, on the way down you need to be able to answer all the questions of jumping, pulling, sitting, turning, lifting. There is so much that has to go into staying sharp, because you know that if there is any ill play, you are going OTB.”
YT: What do you enjoy most about riding mountain bikes?
Cowboy: “I tell my guys that if you are not scared to death at least once a day, then we are doing something wrong. I like the mental growth of making yourself do things that you normally wouldn’t do within your comfort zone. The better you get and the more in shape you get the harder you can push it. I remember the first time hitting little jumps. Now, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. That to me is what I love the most. It keeps you young. When the old man comes knocking, I just don’t let him in.”
