Illness forces Donald Cerrone out of scheduled bout, Joe Lauzon removed from the card

Donald Cerrone has been forced to withdraw from tonight’s UFC 274 lightweight bout against Joe Lauzon. Cerrone’s withdrawal was reportedly due to an illness. With ‘Cowboy’ out, the UFC has also taken Lauzon off UFC 274.

News of the Cerrone-Lauzon fight falling apart was confirmed by the UFC broadcast team comprising Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and Daniel Cormier. Anik stated:

“We do have some late breaking news, and it is of the disappointing variety. Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone is out tonight. He was to fight Joe Lauzon in our pay-per-view opener. It is a non-COVID-19-related illness.”

Anik added that the UFC 274 matchup against Joe Lauzon was special for 'Cowboy,' as the latter was excited about competing in front of his oldest son, Dacson Danger Cerrone. Joe Rogan chimed in and let fans in on what likely led to Cerrone falling ill:

“What an amazing matchup that was too, by the way. Joe Lauzon, Donald Cerrone, loser leaves town. I mean, that’s really what it was. Unfortunately, they think what might have happened is that Donald ate something bad because he was throwing up. He couldn’t keep food down. He felt terrible. They tried to give him time to recover. You know, I talked to [UFC] Doctor [Jeff] Davidson. There was just; it was not gonna happen.”

Additionally, MMA great Daniel Cormier pointed out that Cerrone was incredibly emotional heading into his UFC 274 matchup, as competing in that fight meant a lot to him. Journalist Ariel Helwani confirmed food poisoning as the cause of the illness.

It's unclear whether the UFC will rebook the Cerrone-Lauzon matchup for a later date or book them against different opponents next. The matchup was expected to serve as the UFC 274 main card's first fight, a spot that's now been taken by the welterweight bout between Randy Brown and 'Khaos' Williams.

Watch the UFC broadcast team discuss the Cerrone-Lauzon matchup in the video below:

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Donald Cerrone’s heartwarming insight into his UFC career

At the UFC 274 media day earlier this week, Donald Cerrone opened up during an emotional conversation regarding his UFC career. ‘Cowboy’ is 0-5, with 1 NC (No-Contest) in his last 6 UFC fights.

Addressing this, Cerrone suggested that he’d lost the hunger to train and give his very best inside the octagon but has turned things around of late. ‘Cowboy’ said:

“They [UFC newcomers] make it all the way here, and they do so hard to get here, and then they put the brakes on. And I caught myself ridiculing these kids for doing that, and then I was doing the exact same thing ... They say that it’s hard to be hungry when you’re full. And I agree.”

Watch Donald Cerrone's media day interview below: