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Joe Lauzon has put forth a stylistic breakdown of his upcoming lightweight (155-pound) bout against Donald Cerrone that will take place at UFC 274 on May 7.
In an interview with Mike Heck on an edition of MMA Fighting’s What The Heck podcast, ‘J-Lau’ revealed that one of his coaches initially suggested that Cerrone was the worst stylistic matchup for him. When asked about how his coaches reacted upon learning that he’ll be fighting ‘Cowboy’ next, Lauzon stated:
“So, everyone was kind of hit or miss. So, one of my coaches was like, ‘Oh, this is the worst opponent. Why would-- No, we definitely don’t want to fight that guy.’ And then, we kind of talk about it a little bit, and we kind of like it a little bit better.”
“I think that ‘Cowboy’ and I are kind of different. ‘Cowboy’s’ a slower starter. I’m a faster starter. ‘Cowboy’ definitely has like, more polished stand-up. I have way less polished stand-up but awkwardly effective. So, like, it’s definitely different. We’re both similar in age, similar in experience, similar in wear and tear.”
The 37-year-old Joe Lauzon’s MMA record over the past five years (2017-present) is that of 2 wins and 3 losses. Meanwhile, the 39-year-old Donald Cerrone’s MMA record over the same period is that of 4 wins, 9 losses, and 1 NC (No Contest).
Joe Lauzon alluded to the aforementioned factors at play and opined that ‘Cowboy’ has sustained a significant amount of wear and tear over the past five years. Lauzon indicated that Donald Cerrone might’ve been a bad stylistic matchup for him five years ago, but he's a better matchup for him now.
Watch Joe Lauzon’s conversation with Mike Heck in the video below:
Donald Cerrone on the retirement rumors after his last fight
Cerrone’s most recent fight was a first-round TKO loss against Alex Morono at UFC on ESPN 24 in May 2021. Following this, the MMA community was rife with rumors that the Morono matchup may have been the last time ‘Cowboy’ graced the octagon.
Regardless, as reported by ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Cerrone shot down rumors regarding his retirement. ‘Cowboy’ indicated that when he does decide to retire, he’ll let it be known prior to the fight. Okamoto posted a tweet regarding the same stating:
“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.”
