• UFC 141

Tough SOB Diaz got in my head - Cerrone

Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone went to war at UFC 141 © Getty Images

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Donald Cerrone confessed he made the mistake of allowing Nate Diaz to get into his head after he came out on the wrong side of a lightweight tear-up at UFC 141.

Two men who have never been knocked out went to war inside the Octagon, but Diaz came out the far superior fighter after landing exactly two thirds of his punches thrown. Cerrone was hit 238 times en route to a unanimous decision loss, although he did have his moments.

Coming from a kickboxing background Cerrone floored Diaz with multiple leg kicks and once with a head kick, but most of his best work came in the second round, either side of which he seemed reluctant to use his kicking game to halt the onslaught of punches from Diaz.

When asked why he did not vary up his attacks more, Cerrone confessed all the pre-fight trash talk had lured him into a scrap, which is the last place he needed to be against a Diaz brother.

"I just wanted to stand. I just wanted to play," Cerrone admitted. "I got out-boxed and I talked a lot of sh*t. He got in my f***ing head. He was good. He brought the fight to me. All the sh*t I talked and he made me eat my words didn't he?"

"It's awesome [though]. That's what I like to do. That's what makes fights. That to me was a good time. That was fun. I mean standing there and throwing, that's what everyone likes to see.

"He stood there and went toe-to-toe. There's some respect in that. I looked him in the eyes and said 'God, you're a tough SOB."

Diaz was surprisingly quiet in victory, apologising briefly for knocking Cerrone's hat at the end of the fight. He also refused to call anybody out, insisting he merely wants to fight whoever takes him closer to a title shot.

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