The co-main event of UFC Austin features a fight with a surprising amount of stakes between two lightweight veterans. Donald Cerrone fights Joe Lauzon in a loser-retires-from-the-UFC bout. No pressure really. Both men have had legendary careers in the UFC but neither was able to get over the hump and win a championship. The idea behind this booking is that both men like to finish fights and both have valuable names. UFC president Dana White has made it clear that the loser of the fight will be forced to retire with both men currently going through rough patches. That's also a big reason why this fight makes sense. Cerrone is 39 and Lauzon is 38, respectively. Both men had their primes around the same time but have surprisingly never fought. The future of the loser may be certain, but the future of the winner is very unclear. Both men will be hoping to walk away with a future at UFC Austin.
Donald Cerrone has reached the end of his legendary career that saw him jump between welterweight and lightweight with great success. ‘Cowboy' has had obvious flaws that have stopped him from taking things to the next level in the UFC. An accident outside of the cage saw him lose a part of his stomach and the left side of his body has become an obvious weakness. This can be seen in fights against Rafael dos Anjos and Anthony Pettis. Both men landed huge strikes to the left side of the body that ended things in a quick fashion. Cowboy has not won a fight since 2019 and things have been going downhill very fast. The only losses that are worrying though are the recent ones to Pettis and Alex Morono. After taking a year off, it will be interesting to see what he has left in the tank at UFC Austin.
Joe Lauzon is in a rough stretch himself but he is coming off of a knockout win over Jonathan Pearce. Lauzon is well-rounded with a fun striking game paired with an excellent jiu-jitsu base. He has an eye for the finish as he's able to snap up limbs, slap on chokes, or even end things on the feet. He'll match up very well with Donald Cerrone and is expected to deliver a very fun fight. There are many fun fights on his record including two great ones against Jim Miller. He has not fought since October 2019 and it's going to be interesting to see how the long layoff affects him at UFC Austin.
Here are the UFC Austin odds, featuring our Donald Cerrone-Joe Lauzon prediction, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Austin: Donald Cerrone-Joe Lauzon Odds
Donald Cerrone (+138)
Joe Lauzon (-170)
How the fight will end
Knockout (-110)
Submission (+400)
Decision (+180)
How Donald Cerrone Wins The Fight At UFC Austin
Donald Cerrone is nearing the end of his career and it's not clear how much he has left in the tank. Taking a year off and moving back down to lightweight will be good for his durability against Joe Lauzon. Cowboy won't be afraid to go to the ground in this one as he boasts an impressive jiu-jitsu game of his own. He'll most likely look to keep things on the feet where he'll look to land a good amount of kicks to keep Lauzon at range. He'll want to control the pace of the fight and avoid getting overwhelmed with strikes. His leg kicks are going to be a big factor and limiting the movement of Lauzon is going to lead to a potential opening for a finish. It's tough to figure out exactly where he is in his career but this is a winnable fight if he still has something left in the tank. Cowboy gets the TKO in the second round.
How Joe Lauzon Wins The Fight At UFC Austin
Joe Lauzon has big question marks of his own after not fighting since late 2019. His well-rounded game means he'll have his moments where he'll be able to capitalize on any weaknesses. Attacking the left side of Donald Cerrone's body is going to be crucial for the finish to present itself. It's like a cheat code. Kicks to the liver are going to be very important and could lead to the TKO finish with Cerrone famously wilting. Checking leg kicks and looking to force Cerrone against the cage will lead to many opportunities. A submission isn't likely considering Cerrone's ground game but grappling can lead to many openings for submissions. The opportunity for a TKO finish means Lauzon most likely gets things done on the feet by utilizing body shots and capitalizing on Cowboy wilting.
Final Donald Cerrone-Joe Lauzon Prediction & Pick
This is a very tough one to predict. The questionable recent runs of both men coupled with the layoffs mean the co-main event of UFC Austin is going to be very interesting. Donald Cerrone appears to have the advantage in the stand-up and that's going to be what leads him to victory in Texas. The kicks will play a big factor and Joe Lauzon won't be able to get the fight to the ground easily. His ace-in-the-hole is of course the liver strike that could lead to the eventual finish. Cerrone has been fighting the bigger men and it doesn't seem likely that Lauzon has the power to put him away. Cowboy gets the TKO in the second round.
Final Donald Cerrone-Joe Lauzon Pick: Donald Cerrone wins by knockout in the second round.
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