Getty Donald Cerrone
Although he couldn’t throw down in Austin last weekend, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will enter the Octagon on July 2 at UFC 276.
Cowboy was geared up to fight Joe Lauzon on June 18, however a last-minute knee injury forced Lauzon out of the bout, and Cerrone went to the event as a spectator. Before that, Cowboy and Lauzon were supposed to battle on May 7, but Cerrone suffered food poisoning the day of their UFC 274 match and the fight was postponed.
Cowboy (36-16, 2 NC) will now step in on short notice to take on MMA veteran Jim Miller (34-16, 1 NC) at 170 pounds in Las Vegas, as per a report from ESPN. Bobby Green was set to fight Miller, but he dropped out of the fight for an undisclosed reason.
The fight is a rematch eight years in the making. The fan favorites originally fought in July 2014 and Cowboy bested Miller via second-round KO.
Their UFC 276 match also has historic ramifications as well. Cowboy and Miller, along with former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, are tied for the most UFC wins ever. All three combatants have been victorious 23 times in the promotion.
Barring a draw or no contest, either Cowboy or Miller will leave the T-Mobile arena with their 24th win. And once again they’ll etch their name in the history books.
UFC President Dana White Doesn’t Want to Rebook Cowboy vs. Lauzon, Lauzon Responded
The UFC’s president, Dana White, doesn’t want to rebook Cowboy vs. Lauzon. He told the media at the UFC Austin post-fight press conference that the pairing had shades of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson.
“That thing is getting like Tony (Ferguson) and Khabib (Nurmagomedov),” White said via MMA Junkie. “No, I will not book that fight again.”
Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were scheduled to fight on five separate occasions, but for reasons ranging from pandemic travel restrictions to injuries, the two never squared off inside the Octagon.
Lauzon, who has recovered from the knee dislocation, recently said that for him, it’s Cowboy “or bust.”
“I definitely want this fight now,” Lauzon during an interview with MMA on SiriusXM via MMA News. “We spent too much time getting ready for Cowboy to not go and see it through. For me right now, it’s Cowboy or bust…. that’s the fight I want, I think that’s the fight he wants. I understand it sucks the way it’s worked out, and I’m sure Dana is upset with how it worked out. But I guarantee you Cowboy and I are way more upset because we’ve put in way more effort than the UFC has. I think it should still happen. I think just because it didn’t work the first two times, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t work out the third time.”
Cerrone Also Wants to Fight Lauzon
Cowboy spoke with ESPN after UFC Austin and he addressed the Lauzon fight falling out for a second time. And in short, Cerrone is also game to reschedule the bout.
“Joe texted me (on Saturday morning) and said, ‘Sorry, brother. I can’t stand on my leg,’ and I was like, ‘Well, we’re (1-1) now, ain’t we?’” Cerrone said via MMA Junkie. “Joe is a game dude, so it’s not like he’s making something up. I know Joe just wouldn’t pull anything, so heal up brother, and we’ll make it happen one day.”
“Of course (I’d like that fight),” Cerrone continued. “I don’t know what’s wrong with his knee or how long it’s going to take, but we’re already in the talks. We’ll hear real soon.”