UFC 141 Results: What's Next for Donald Cerrone?

In one of the most anticipated bouts of the year, Donald "The Cowboy" Cerrone took on Nate Diaz at UFC 141.

While Cerrone was the clear-cut favorite heading into their highly-hyped bout, it was Diaz who stole the show with his stand-up and stellar boxing skills.

It appeared as if he was in a whole other universe when action began as he lacked the drive and energy that has allowed him to become a legitimate contender in the lightweight division.

Instead, Cerrone appeared content with how his bout was going and showed no sense of urgency as time progressed into the later rounds.

On several instances, Cerrone landed back leg kicks that sent Diaz to the ground, but chose to remain on his feet due to Diaz's well-established submission skills.

However, even when Cerrone arguably trailed two rounds, he showed no concern for attacking Diaz while he was down.

Many also believe Cerrone was injured early in Round 1, which played a lasting effect on the remaining two rounds.

Regardless of the reason, Cerrone displayed a lackluster performance which ultimately will shoot down any hopes he had of a title shot.

Instead, Cerrone has now become a mid-tier 155-pounder and will have a long road ahead of him until he's back into title contention.

Cerrone has fought a lot over the course of the past year and may need to take some time off to examine his current pace.

Time off for Cerrone could be a key component in his run towards another title shot as he'll look for a fresh start in the new year.

Before "The Cowboy" can focus on his next opponent, he needs to step away from the Octagon and get his career back on track.

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