Last month fight fans like me and Jared Seyl got the news that we have been waiting for, that Connor McGregor was going to be making his UFC comeback. Jared and I actually never thought that he would come back after making so much money from the Mayweather fight, not to mention the millions he must be making from his whisky, but the rumors were true and this month we’ll see Connor take to the octagon against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone. This is no easy fight for Connor and depending on what happens January 18th, will determine what happens in his UFC career, let’s take a look.
The Concerns
Cowboy is a great fighter with a wealth of experience and there is absolutely no reason why he can’t overcome Connor this month. The big causes for concern are the weight, with 170 being the preferred weight option, which surely plays into Cowboy’s hands more than it does Connor’s. Another concern is that Cowboy just has more ways to win than Connor, he has solid standup game and he can also submit you from the ground, something which Connor doesn’t have in his locker, at least not that we know.
Connor Wins
The reason which Dana White has said that Connor wanted to fight at welterweight against Cowboy was so that he could be ready should Tony Ferguson not make he fight with Khabib in April, not a wild suggestion given that they’ve tried to make that fight 4 times already. Regardless of Connor’s hopes, if he does beat Cowboy then he’ll want to get ready for another fight soon, as he has stated his wish to fight 3 times this year. Connor may try to take on Masvidal next if he wins, looking to finish the year against Khabib, or with a trilogy fight against Nate Diaz.
If Cowboy Wins
If Cowboy does manage to beat Connor then he will have just put himself right in the mix for a title shot against the winner of Khaib and Ferguson, either of which will be a massive fight for Cerrone. For Connor he may have to look for some glory and money elsewhere, which is most likely to come from a trilogy fight with Nate Diaz. If that doesn’t work out then Connor will have to look at dropping back down to 155lbs for a fight with the only alternative to that if he is able to get a fight together with Justin Gaethje, which then may put him back on the road to a rematch with Khabib, which of course is what he has been hoping for since the moment he was beaten by him in 2018.
This is a fascinating fight and in terms of Connor’s legacy, it is one which he has to win. Make no mistake however, this is by no means an easy fight for Connor and nobody should be underestimating Cowboy.
