UFC 246: Conor McGregor is centre of attention ahead of much-anticipated return to action
Despite everything Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone has done in UFC, this week he is just the other guy. It’s all about Conor McGregor and whether his much-hyped return is the real deal.
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This is the return of the hungry Conor McGregor. The focused McGregor. The McGregor who conquered the world — and will now do so again.
Watch Conor McGregor vs Donald Cerrone on Sunday, January 19 (AEDT) only on Main Event. Order it now here
That’s how his showdown with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246 on Sunday has been billed.
It’s so easy to reminisce about the Jose Aldo knockout, the two classic bouts with Nate Diaz, the massacre of Eddie Alvarez, even the crossover bout with Floyd Mayweather, which remains proof some people love being duped.
But those are all far, far away. It’s coming up on two and a half years since the Mayweather fight, and it’s much easier for many to rattle off the details of McGregor’s tumultuous life away from the cage in the time since.
There was the time he stormed the Bellator cage following a teammate’s victory, and got into a push and shove with event officials and the referee.
There was the bus attack in New York, a wild and unhinged attempt to get at Khabib Nurmagomedov, whose spectre haunts McGregor still.
There was the smashing of a stranger’s nightclub in Miami, the time he belted a 60-year old man in a Dublin pub, and, according to The New York Times, he is the subject of two sexual assault allegations in Ireland, although no charges have been laid.
But even after all this, and even after Nurmagomedov dented the McGregor mythos with his crushing victory in 2018, and even after it’s been so long since McGregor has done any of the things that made him such a phenomenon in the first place, his star power abides.
The weigh-in was unlike anything another fighter in the UFC could generate. Three thousand people piled in to see their hero step on the scale, scream and flex, and promise that the comeback was not only happening, it was assured.
The Budweiser-drinking, Harley-riding Cerrone came out first and looked sheepish, getting his fair share of cheers, only to be swallowed up by the adulation for McGregor.
“Cowboy” is a brave and accomplished fighter, worthy of the respect he has been given this week and no easy out by any means. Nobody in the history of the UFC has won more fights than Cerrone.
Despite everything he’s done before, this week he is just the other guy. It is all about McGregor.
Even so, this wasn’t like the weigh-in before he faced Nurmagomedov, which had closer to 10,000 punters in attendance. There was an Irish presence, and they were the loudest in the room, but it wasn’t the same as the bellowing hordes of the past.
McGregor didn’t have rapper Drake up on stage with him this time — just his head coach, John Kavanagh.
This fight feels bigger than most, purely by virtue of McGregor being here, but Las Vegas does not feel like the centre of the universe like it has when he’s come to town in the past.
His star isn’t as blinding as it used to be.
McGregor even said sorry for being late, a far cry from the days when he declared he would apologise to absolutely nobody because “the double champ does what the f... he wants”.
To be fair, he’s not the double champ anymore, even if he’s still the biggest game in town. He’s a king with a rap sheet, but not a crown.
“I broke the game before I was even 30. But that’s the past. I’m focused on the present, focused on creating many more magical moments inside the octagon,” McGregor told UFC’s official website.
“Everyone always says ‘When are we getting the old Conor back? We want to get the 2016 Conor back’. I’d smoke that guy. I’m in a great fighting state of mind.”
McGregor might yet take it all back, but it will take time.
UFC boss Dana White has all but confirmed the Irishman will earn a rematch with Nurmagomedov should he down Cerrone, and McGregor has expressed interest in fighting in Moscow, which flirts with the line between courage and madness.
TALE OF THE TAPE
WHO
‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone
HEIGHT
McGregor: 175cm
Cerrone: 185cm
WEIGHT
McGregor: 77.11kg
Cerrone: 77.11kg
RECORD
McGregor: 21-4
Cerrone: 34-11 (1 NC)
STRENGTHS
McGregor: His devastating left hand. Only two of McGregor’s 11 UFC fights have gone the distance, and eight of his nine victories with the company have come by knockout. A gifted counter-striker and a fast starter, McGregor also has a wonderful control of distance and specializes in getting opponents out of the cage quickly.
Cerrone: His experience. Nobody has won more UFC fights than Cerrone, and he regularly fights three or four times a year. There is nothing in MMA he has not seen and few things he hasn’t done. Cerrone boasts a well-rounded skill set, with his mix of jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai making him comfortable wherever a fight may go. He’s also got McGregor covered in the cardio stakes, which could be crucial.
WEAKNESSES
McGregor: If opponents can weather McGregor’s fast start, he is known to gas out. The extra muscle he’s carrying at welterweight could exacerbate that, so if Cerrone can withstand the first round and a half or so, he could find some joy. McGregor’s long layoff from fighting could also have an impact – he’s fought just once inside the Octagon since the end of 2016.
Cerrone: Because Cerrone fights so often, his habits are well known. He is a slow starter, often taking a few minutes to warm to the contest, and there’s a belief he’s unable to win the big fights, given he’s never won a world title in a major organization. As extensive as his record may be, Cerrone has consistently fallen short against the best fighters in his divisions - plus he’s coming off two straight losses.
NOTABLE WINS
McGregor: Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez, Nate Diaz
Cerrone: Eddie Alvarez, Edson Barboza, Benson Henderson
NOTABLE LOSSES
McGregor: Nate Diaz, Khabib Nurmagomedov
Cerrone: Nate Diaz, Tony Ferguson, Jorge Masvidal
WHY HE CAN WIN
McGregor: Because his strengths match up so well with Cerrone’s weaknesses.
Cerrone: Because he’s got a better ground game and better cardio than McGregor.
PREDICTION
Cerrone is no walkover, but of the big names at lightweight or welterweight this is the best stylistic match-up McGregor could ask for. The Irishman won’t have it all his own way, but this is a fight he should win and win well if he’s still one of the best in the world. McGregor, by TKO, Round 2.
Originally published as UFC 246: Conor McGregor is centre of attention ahead of much-anticipated return to action