Conor McGregor to return at UFC 246 in January against Donald Cerrone

The King is back and will look to stop a wild cowboy.

It was announced via ESPN that Conor McGregor will be making his long-awaited return to the octagon on January 18th for UFC 246. Inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, McGregor will face off agianst Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The fight will be contested at welterweight, a weight class Conor appeared in when he fought Nate Diaz twice in 2016.

This will be Conor’s (21-4) return fight since facing and losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in 2018. He hasn’t won an MMA bout since beating Eddie Alvarez for the Lightweight Title in 2016 and is 2-2 in his last four. After months of politicking and even retiring (again) on social media, Conor went on a tour in Russia to announce his 2020 plans. His goal is to get back to the top of the MMA world, a place where his name continues to be talked about.

It should be noted that the leadup for the fight will be interesting, considering McGregor is under investigation for two sexual assault allegations. While no charges have been filed, one of the women involved has gone public. McGregor has also pleaded guilty after punching a man in a bar, one of the many time’s alcohol has been involved in controversial McGregor news.

For Cerrone (36-13, 1NC), this is another animal he is waiting to get his hands on. Fighting seven times from 2018-2019, Cerrone has fought the likes of Mike Perry, Al Iaquinta, Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. On a two-fight losing streak, “Cowboy” has been ready for Conor since the two interacted with one another prior to UFC 194.

The Seedpic.twitter.com/Bjrm2ZcmYp

— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) November 28, 2019

Since then, both have called one another out at various points, with Cerrone’s win against Alexander Hernandez a true driving force for a bout.

With a scrappy Cerrone in the mix, McGregor’s journey back to the octagon isn’t as easy as most think it is. “Cowboy” has the name and fighter IQ that entices many into tuning into the fight. With all of his distractions outside of the octagon, will we see the Conor McGregor of old for the first time in years?