Conor McGregor couldn’t have hoped for a better comeback opponent than Donald Cowboy Cerrone.
The UFC 246 headliner is certainly a ‘fan friendly bout’, as McGregor continues to refer to it, and marks the beginning of the Irishman’s road to redemption in 2020. Cerrone is more than a familiar face to any MMA fan worth his salt.
The 36-year-old is a fighting machine. He holds the UFC’s record for most finishes, most fight-night bonuses and most wins in the UFC. A ranch-owning, deep-water diving, adrenaline junkie, loveable madman – Cerrone’s stock has never been higher, despite suffering successive defeats.
Remarkably, 19 of Cerrone’s 33 fights in the UFC have come within 100 days of the previous one. Cerrone and McGregor’s activity streaks are night and day, and the ‘Notorious’ will be hoping to steal away some of Cowboy’s famous stamina.
The bout has all the makings of a fire fight, but for McGregor, it hardly represents the biggest threat to his 2020 ‘season’.
‘I think stylistically it’s a great match-up for Conor,’ Brad Pickett explained to Metro.co.uk. ‘I can’t see this being a wrestling or grappling match. Unless Cowboy chooses that road, and if I was his coach I would tell Cowboy to do that.
‘But Cowboy is his own fighter and I believe he’ll stand and fight Conor. That’ll play into Conor’s hands and I think he’ll finish Cowboy in the first two rounds.’
Cowboy’s fighting style appears to begin and end with instinct. In his losses against Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje he was vintage Cerrone, opting to go toe-to-toe with the elite strikers rather than trying to nullify their weapons.
But in his wins over Mike Perry and Al Iaquinta, Cerrone demonstrated experience and an ability to grow into a contest. He is a slow starter, which bodes well for McGregor – who has 15 first-round finishes in his career.
Cerrone’s talents on the ground, however, suggest he could cause McGregor issues. Cowboy’s flashes of pure brilliance on his feet is another indicator he could be a real banana skin for the returning superstar – hence why Dana White sanctioned the match-up.
‘Cowboy is a top five fighter in the world,’ the UFC president insisted during fight week. ‘Don’t ever underestimate a fighter in the top five.
UFC 246 Odds
‘This isn’t a lay-up for Conor or an easy fight. This isn’t easy money or an open door to Khabib Nurmagomedov.’
In a comeback fight for their biggest star, the UFC wanted a contest where the odds were stacked in McGregor’s favour and one where he could showcase his striking skills. Pickett explained why Cerrone ticked those boxes, but was still a credible opponent.
He said: ‘Conor is such a clean striker and he always starts off strong. Cowboy’s last two fights have been loses.
‘Tony Ferguson busted his eye up and then he was stopped in the first round by Justin Gaethje. Cowboy is vulnerable in early rounds, so I can see Conor winning it early.
‘But Cowboy Cerrone is the living embodiment of how crazy MMA is. We’ve counted him out so many times. When he fought Alexander Hernandez, a young stud, he schooled him. Cowboy on his night can beat anyone in the world. He has all the tools to win.’
Although Cerrone doesn’t represent the vocal dance partner that McGregor would want, UFC legend Pickett explained why McGregor’s silver tongue will be particularly useful against Cowboy, should he chose to use it.
‘Cowboy is just a fighter,’ Pickett said. ‘Mentally, he hates fighting. He hates it. I was the same. I hated fighting and it didn’t seem natural to me to beat someone up. I always felt sick before a fight, just like Cowboy.
‘I was able to draw off the crowd, but with Cowboy he can be quite intimidated by his opponents. He needs to be pals with you. If he’s paly with you he fights you really well. If you have that animosity with him, he doesn’t do as well. Nate Diaz, Matt Brown – they’ve all got under his skin. When he fought Matt Brown, Matt was really harsh on Cowboy and that really affected him.
‘It wasn’t until the third round when Cowboy tried to high five him and you saw the mindset of Cowboy change.
‘He was comfortable again and he knocked him out in the world. He’s better when he’s fighting his mates. Conor is definitely going to get into the head of Cerrone.’
Fight fans can expect fireworks between Cerrone and McGregor. But make no mistake about it, the UFC’s decision to pick Cerrone is a calculated one, designed to give McGregor’s comeback season the perfect start.
Metro.co.uk is reporting from Las Vegas in association with Ohmbet – UK’s No.1 MMA Sportsbook. For latest MMA odds go here.
Watch UFC® 246: McGREGOR vs. COWBOY live on BT Sport Box Office from 3:00am GMT with the early prelims exclusively live on UFC FIGHT PASS from 11:15pm
MORE: Conor McGregor claims Tyson Fury lied about talks over MMA training
MORE: Conor McGregor names next fight date and possible opponents if he beats Cowboy Cerrone
