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Donald Cerrone breaks John Makdessi's jaw to close in on lightweight title shot

Donald Cerrone lands a kick to John Makdessi that ended their fight. (AP)
Donald Cerrone lands a kick to John Makdessi that ended their fight. (AP)

LAS VEGAS – Donald Cerrone assured anyone and everyone who would listen that he wasn’t taking his UFC 187 late-replacement bout against John Makdessi lightly.

If Makdessi’s broken jaw is any indication of Cerrone’s desire, then “not taking it lightly” may just be the understatement of the year.

Cerrone dissected Makdessi with kicks to the legs and body for the entirety of their bout. When it was time for the “Cowboy” to send his fans home happy, at 4:44 of Round 2 to be exact, he went high with a kick to Makdessi’s jaw, breaking it. His opponent quickly retreated, waving off the action as Cerrone closed in for the finish.

“I think I might finally get this title shot by default, huh?” Cerrone said post-fight after his eighth consecutive victory inside the Octagon. “I’m upset with my performance, but I always am. I don’t know what’s next. My manager probably won’t let me take another fight before I get a title shot so I guess we’ll just wait and see.”

The win marked Cerrone’s sixth outing since the beginning of 2014 and caps off one of the most impressive runs of activity (and dominance) in recent memory and a title shot is all but assured. Rather than waiting on the sidelines, hoping for a title shot to materialize, Cerrone took the fight with Makdessi after top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov bowed out due to injury last month.

The choice to fight is the only option for Cerrone. He is a fighter who admittedly performs when active – when he has less time to sit around and eat, as he says. Also, with more fights come more options, especially when you win.

Donald Cerrone gestures after defeating John Makdessi. (AP)
Donald Cerrone gestures after defeating John Makdessi. (AP)

“That’s who I am, I never paint myself into a corner,” he said when asked about his propensity for taking fights at the drop of a hat.

Cerrone admitted that the late replacement and the questions surrounding his dedication played on his mind. He also elaborated on the finish that will surely go down in a UFC highlight reel, or two, for years to come.

“I had no idea what happened, I thought maybe I poked him in the eye or something. I was blown away. I should’ve wrestled him more but he made that comment about how good strikers always turn into wrestlers when they face another good striker; that was in my head a little bit.”

Never content, and always honest – just some of the traits that make Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone one of the most unanimously beloved fighters on the UFC roster today.

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