Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone scratched from UFC 274 due to illness

Hours before Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone was set to face Joe Lauzon in what was potentially to be his final fight in the UFC, Cerrone was scratched from the card due to an illness, according to Aaron Bronsteter of TSN Sports.

Cerrone, 39, is tied for the record for wins in the UFC with 23, although he hasn't won a fight since May 2019. Since then, he's fought six times with five losses and a no contest. While he hasn't been willing to talk about the possibility of his next fight being his last, UFC president Dana White said the loser of the fight between Cerrone and 37-year-old Lauzon "should retire".

The nature of Cerrone's illness has not yet been revealed, but the UFC confirmed Bronsteter's report by announcing that a welterweight bout between Randy Brown and Khaos Williams would be moved into the empty slot on the pay-per-view.

Cerrone is 36-16 as a pro mixed martial artist with two no contests on his record. He once fought for the UFC lightweight title, but lost to Rafael dos Anjos. He's tied with Charles Oliveira for the most performance bonuses in UFC history.

Lauzon has a 28-15 record as a pro and is one of the longest standing UFC veterans, having made his debut in the promotion in 2006.