Despite Injury, Anticipated Donald Cerrone-Robbie Lawler Clash Rescheduled for UFC 214 in Anaheim

UFC 213's loss is UFC 214's gain.

The anticipated welterweight clash between former Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight king Robbie Lawler and “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone will still take place in the month of July, just three weeks later than expected, moving from UFC 213 on July 8 in Las Vegas to UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim, California.

The Los Angeles Times' Lance Pugmire was first to report the news on Monday.

Just received word from @danawhite that @Cowboycerrone @Ruthless_RL is moving from Saturday to Anaheim's UFC 214 on July 29.

— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) July 2, 2017

Last week, UFC President Dana White told MMAJunkie that Cerrone had suffered a pulled groin in training and also possibly had a staph infection, stating that “Cowboy” was too injured for the Lawler bout to be rescheduled for the July 29 card at the Honda Center. With the addition of Cerrone-Lawler, UFC 214 now has fifteen bouts scheduled. The fight figures to join the pay-per-view main card of the event, joining a trio of UFC title fights, with Daniel Cormier-Jon Jones 2, Tyron Woodley-Demian Maia and Cristiane Justino-Tonya Evinger all on the bill.

Following his 66-second knockout loss to Rafael dos Anjos in his December 2015 UFC lightweight title bid, “Cowboy” bumped up to 170 pounds and won four in a row, taking thrilling stoppage wins over Alex Oliveira, Patrick Cote, Rick Story and Matt Brown. The 34-year-old had his winning streak snapped this past January, courtesy of a second-round knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal.

For Lawler, the Cerrone bout will now come one year less a day since he lost the UFC welterweight title to Tyron Woodley at UFC 201 last July. The UFC sought to book a fight between “Cowboy” and “Ruthless” for UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden in New York last November, but Lawler declined, preferring to take more time away from the cage to recover following the Woodley knockout loss.