UFC 246: The McGregor Season Begins
All the turmoil and chaos of recent times looked as though it would suffocate Conor McGregor into oblivion, but after a period of much needed self-reflection, McGregor returned to his roots and what made him.
Donald Cerrone wasn’t given time to get going, blown away in a manner few would have expected.
McGregor came out with the big lead left hand, it missed, and where Cerrone was supposed to be at his strongest, in the clinch, it was anything but. McGregor used shoulder strikes to start the beginning of the end.
Cerrone found space, but his already busted up face told the story of what was about to come. McGregor then unleashed a left head kick, he did what Cerrone was supposed to do to him.
Cerrone was badly hurt and McGregor moved in for the finish. Herb Dean gave him every chance, but McGregor wouldn’t be denied, and at just 40 seconds the McGregor season began.
McGregor was expected to win, but not like that, a simply stunning and statement making performance to announce his return to the win column for the first time since 2016.
A stay at welterweight looks the immediate future, and despite the win tonight at UFC 246, there will still be questions if he could do the same to the likes of Kamaru Usman or Jorge Masvidal who were tellingly both in attendance in Las Vegas.
McGregor looked reborn, and after the humility and respect throughout fight week, we got a little of the old McGregor in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
“The UFC can strip fighters and give other fighters make believes belts but they can’t give out knockout victories across multiple weight divisions. Etch my name in history one more time.
“I made history tonight. I set a new record. I’m the first fighter in UFC history to secure knockout victories at featherweight, at lightweight and now at welterweight, across three weight divisions, so I’m very proud of that.”
Whatever is next, we witnessed a fighter tonight wanting to prove that the past is still very much the future.
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