Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone gives heartfelt update on retirement after UFC Vegas 26 loss to Alex Morono

Despite losing five of his last six UFC fights, Donald Cerrone told ESPN's Brett Okamoto that he is not considering retiring from the sport.

According to Okamoto, Cerrone understands that his recent performances have not been top-notch. However, the 38-year-old believes he still has what it takes to compete against world-class MMA fighters. Cerrone added that he'd let the fans know about his retirement whenever he thinks it's the right time to hang up his gloves.

Spoke to Cowboy, he tells me this was not his final fight and he doesn't feel done, but acknowledges his performances say otherwise. Said he'll have to watch tape, talk to his team and UFC. Whenever it IS his last fight, he believes he'll make that known before his final walk.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) May 9, 2021

Donald Cerrone lost to Alex Morono at UFC Vegas 26. This was the veteran's most recent loss in the promotion. 'Cowboy' was finished by Morono in the final minute of the first round.

Cerrone was originally scheduled to fight Diego Sanchez at UFC Vegas 26. However, due to Sanchez's release from the promotion, the UFC decided to replace him with Morono. On the back of a four-fight losing streak and with his last bout culminating in a no-contest, Cerrone was desperately looking for a win.

Meanwhile, Morono came off a loss to Anthony Pettis. 'The Great White' had succumbed to defeat in two of his previous three fights. His last win was against Rhys McKee in November 2020.

When was the last time Donald Cerrone won in the UFC?

McGregor v Cerrone

Donald Cerrone's last win in the UFC was in May 2019, when he scored a unanimous decision win over Al Iaquinta. Since then, he has lost to Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, Anthony Pettis, and Alex Morono.

At UFC Vegas 26, Cerrone hurt Morono early with his stinging body kicks, which clearly troubled the latter. However, Morono refused to back off as he waded forward to land clean punches on Cerrone.

After a string of destructive connections to Cerrone's face, 'Cowboy' couldn't deal with Morono's explosiveness. Realizing Cerrone was unable to defend himself, referee Marc Goddard pulled a stop to the contest.

Seized his opportunity! 💢🦈 @AlexMoronoMMA comes up big at #UFCVegas26. pic.twitter.com/GSqyE4Lgbu

— UFC (@ufc) May 9, 2021

Cerrone holds a multitude of records in the UFC: most wins (23), most finishes (16), and most fight-night bonuses (18). 'Cowboy' is a veteran in the promotion, but he is 0-5 in his last six fights, with one no-contest. The 38-year-old, who has fought in both lightweight and middleweight divisions, needs to consider what lies ahead.