You can't keep a good "Cowboy" down. Well, most of the time.
Even the best fighters need to rest, and that's exactly the reality that Donald Cerrone faced recently when he was asked by UFC president Dana White to press pause on his typically hectic schedule. Cerrone suffered an ugly TKO loss to Jorge Masvidal in January and he's next scheduled to fight Robbie Lawler at UFC 213 on July 8.
That six-month layoff was entirely due to the boss' wishes.
"I would have fought sooner, but (White) put me in timeout for a while," Cerrone told ESPN's Brett Okamoto. "After the (Masvidal loss), he said, 'You're in timeout.' I asked if I could call him for a fight and he said, 'No.' I said, 'Come on. ' He said, 'No.'"
Cerrone has averaged four fights a year since 2013 and he still has time to pick up the pace in the latter half of 2017 to keep that trend going. It appears that this break was badly needed, as the 34-year-old welterweight's account of the Masvidal loss makes it sound like he was in rough shape.
"When the doctor tried to look at me and make sure I was OK - told me to take three steps forward or he'd stop the fight - I don't remember any of that s---," Cerrone said. "So, yeah. It is what it is."
All of Cerrone's recovery time could be for naught when he faces off with Lawler at UFC 213. The two men are known for their fearless stand-up scraps and they own a combined 45 wins by knockout or submission.