Donald Cerrone was originally slated to face former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 205. But due to unspecified reasons, “Ruthless” pulled out of the fight, and was eventually replaced by Kelvin Gastelum.

Since he was knocked out by current champion Tyron Woodley last July, Lawler’s next fight remains uncertain. But given his penchant for staying active and constantly taking fights, “Cowboy” says he is actually still willing to face Lawler down the line.

"I still respect the sh-t out of the dude. He's a good friend of mine, I have more respect for him calling me first and letting me know, that tells you how he is. This is a guy that would be a hell of a fight,” Cerrone said via MMA Fighting.

Fans were left puzzled by the sudden pull-out of Lawler, particularly since no particular reason was given. Cerrone, however, has his take on the matter, based on his perspective as a fighter, and someone close to Lawler.

"I don't know mentally what was going on with Lawler, he's not really a guy that pulls out of fights,” Cerrone said. “He's a tough dude. What I think might have happened, maybe he got rocked in sparring, or maybe his head wasn't all the way healed up. Maybe there wasn't enough time.”

“Those are just things I'm making up, I don't really know what was going on with him, those are just things that can happen."