LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor is back.
The Irish fighter just brutalized Donald Cerrone with clean, crisp, and accurate strikes, beating the "Cowboy" to the floor, and finishing him with ease at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on January 18.
McGregor is back.
Since his last bout 15 months ago, the UFC had moved on. Khabib Nurmagomedov had demonstrated that he was the man at lightweight, Tony Ferguson showed he was the no.1 contender, and the popular welterweight Jorge Masvidal won a belt that describes him as the "baddest mother f-----" in the game.
But now McGregor is back.
Cerrone, the most winningest athlete in UFC history, entered the bout coming off back-to-back losses, but McGregor also need a win. The stage was set for him to win, and he did so in style.
Within moments of the bell, McGregor shouldered Cerrone in the face, bloodied his nose, and stunned him with a leg kick.
That was just the start.
He sensed danger. He sought the early knockout. He finished Cerrone in 40 seconds with a striking masterclass.
"I like this weight division, it's good going up and down, I'm in shape," McGregor said after his UFC 246 win was announced. "I'm not there yet, there's work to do to get to where I was. I'll party, celebrate, any of these fools can get it. It does not matter."
After his loss, his third in a row, Cerrone said: "He caught me straight away, then kicked me … I've not seen anything like it. He busted my nose."
Yes, McGregor is back.
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