Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon canceled for a second time, 'J-Lau' forced to withdraw

The highly-anticipated clash between veterans Donald Cerrone and Joe Lauzon has been canceled once again. This time, it was due to a problem with J-Lau, according to reports.

The two were set to face off earlier this year, but 'Cowboy' was forced to pull out on the night of the fight after falling ill. Not much has been released on the reasoning. However, speculation from MMA figures surrounding the news seems to claim that the 39-year-old was either feeling unwell or had sustained an injury.

As first reported by Ariel Helwani on Twitter, UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Emmett will be one fight short after losing its co-main event this evening.

"Cerrone-Lauzon is off. Again. Pretty wild. Last month, canceled on fight day because Cerrone got sick. Today, canceled on fight day because of a health issue with Lauzon. He weighed in yesterday but didn’t show up to the ceremonials because he wasn’t feeling well."

It seems unlikely that Donald Cerrone will be found a replacement fight on hours' notice. This means the UFC is expected to rebook the lightweight showdown at a later date.

Kevin Holland vs. Tim Means is expected to be promoted to co-headliner on Saturday. The canceled bout will be somewhat upsetting for both hardcore and casual MMA fans. Though watching the always entertaining 'Trailblazer' take on the welterweight vet is a great fight to fill the void.

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What's next for Donald Cerrone?

It's plausible to predict that the UFC will rebook the fabled fight between Donald Cerrone and Joe Lauzon. However, if matchmakers decide against it, who can we see 'Cowboy' face next?

If the 52-fight legend remains at lightweight for his next outing, he could be matched up against one of the many hungry lions at 155 lbs. Assuming the UFC listens to his requests to face older guys like himself, we could be in for a handful of exciting fights. These would close out the former title challenger's lengthy career.

Donald Cerrone could find himself in a rematch with Jim Miller, or locking horns with Bobby Green for the first time in his career. This will depend on who wins between the pair of 55ers in their meeting in a couple of weeks time.

The BMF Ranch representative could also angle for fan-favorite matchups. He could be the one to welcome Dan Hooker back into the lightweight division after the New Zealander fell short of expectations at featherweight.