The upcoming fight at UFC 246 between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone has fight fans excited for the first UFC pay-per-view of 2020. The matchup has oddsmakers favoring McGregor. While UFC President Dana White says McGregor wants this to be the first of three fights in the new year, he also feels Cerrone is being severely overlooked.
When looking at a matchup with a polarizing figure like McGregor versus a veteran like Cerrone, here are four things to consider.
Idle Hands
While Conor McGregor has been working on his entrepreneurial endeavors and legal issues, Donald Cerrone has been fighting. Both men have bounced between 170 and 155 but there is something to be said for past activity and recent activity. Sure Cerrone has lost his last two, but he’s come back off back-to-back losses before and returned better. McGregor can’t say the same thing.
Flipside
On the other hand, being active in combat sports comes with its share of damage. Fighting as often as Cerrone has comes with all the damage that can add up over time. While “anytime, anywhere” has been what fans have come to love about “Cowboy” it could also be his undoing. McGregor may not have fought since 2018 but that’s also time his body has had to rest and return to action. Cerrone can’t, and probably would rather not say the same.
Losses are Lessons to some
With Cerrone’s record, how he has handled losses speaks for itself. While McGregor has also bounced back from losses, he still seems to lose by submission when he does lose. One kneebar and two chokes show McGregor has a weakness on the ground. Will his brown belt in jiu-jitsu be enough against Cerrone’s black belt?
Age ain’t nothing but a number
“Time is undefeated” is a line from Creed that holds true in the real world of combat sports. Cerrone has a lot of well-rounded experience on his side, but he’s also the older man in this fight. Add that to facing a well-rested former two-division champion and perhaps fans can see why a recently inactive McGregor somehow is the odds favorite.
Anything can happen once the cage door closes and all questions will certainly be answered at UFC 246 but, who do you have winning the main event?
