By Andrew Gutman
Forty seconds. That’s all the time it took for Conor McGregor needed to knockout Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 on January 18 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and remind the world why he’s the most notorious fighter in the game.
McGregor opened the fight by missing with a big left hand. He clinched with “Cowboy,” and threw a series of vicious shoulder strikes into the American’s eye and nose. He then stunned Cerrone with a head kick and promptly put him away with five strong left hands. It was the first time in his career that Cerrone didn’t land a single strike. The fight happened so quickly that you could watch it in the time it takes to brew a cup of Keurig coffee.
Fans are praising McGregor, not just for his performance but also for how he’s conducted himself lately. During the media circus the week prior to the fight, the “Notorious” abandoned his typical Rage-Against-The-Machine-meets-frat-bro energy and approached the event as confident but calm, focused, and wholly respectful of Cerrone. After the fight, he strutted across the cage to hug Cowboy’s grandmother, Jerry Cerrone.
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From striking a senior citizen in a Dublin bar last April to now embracing old ladies, this moment marked McGregor’s metamorphosis into Good Guy McGregor. He’ll kick you in the face, but then he’ll hug your gam-gam.
McGregor has been referring to his 2020 return as a “season,” stating that he’d like to stay as active as possible. “Any one of these mouthy fools can get it,” he told UFC Commentator Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview. “I’m back, and I’m ready.”
UFC President Dana White has been vocal about his desire for McGregor to fight current Lightweight champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov, who tapped out the Irishman in the fourth round of their 2018 bout. The rematch is likely, but this win over Cerrone, while stunning, did little to improve his stock.
By all accounts, McGregor, a 3-1 favorite, was supposed to put Cerrone away. In contrast to Khabib, who out-wrestled McGregor handily, Cerrone’s style matched up perfectly with Mystic Mac’s. The point: As impressive as this win is, it was a tune-up, and how McGregor will fare against top tier talent after more than a year out of the cage is still very much in question—but it’s one we’re all looking forward to having answered.
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