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Conor McGregor will step into the Octagon on Saturday night for the first time in over 15 months, and he will do so knowing this fight against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246 in Las Vegas is, quite simply, the biggest fight of his career.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen McGregor leave the Octagon with a victory. That came way back in November of 2016 when McGregor lit up Madison Square Garden by lighting up Eddie Alvarez to win the UFC lightweight belt and become the “Champ Champ.”
For those who sat in attendance that night or watched on TV, you would have never thought that would have been the last time McGregor’s arm was raised following a UFC fight, because on that night he was the king. There was nobody bigger in the fight game than Conor McGregor.
Since then, however, his record inside the Octagon has taken a hit and his image outside of it has been damaged even more.
The loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov back in Oct. of 2018 wasn’t great, as McGregor didn’t seem to put up much of a fight in the fourth round when Nurmagomedov took his neck and finally ended things by choking him out.
The legal troubles McGregor has faced in the real world have been much more serious. McGregor is currently being investigated over sexual assault allegations made in Ireland in 2019. In an interview this week he denied any wrong doing, but it is hard to put this situation aside for a fight.
There was also the time he hit an old man in a Dublin pub and then the time he smashed a fan’s phone in Miami.
Not great.
Now McGregor returns to the UFC. He has spent a lot of time this week talking about the big fights he wants after this one. He desperately wants a rematch with Nurmagomedov. He’s talked about a fight with the BMF title-holder, Jorge Masvidal. He’s talked about fighting Kamaru Usman for the 170-pound belt. He’s talked about boxing matches against Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao.
He’s talked a lot about his future, one that would be very lucrative not only for himself but for Dana White and the UFC, as well. A win Saturday and so much is on the table for his next moves.
But what happens to all of those opportunities if he loses this fight on Saturday night? The rematch with Nurmagomedov has to come off the table, no matter how much money it could make. I guess a money fight with Jorge Masvidal could work, though how excited would anyone really be to see McGregor take on a beast like Masvidal after suffering two straight losses, especially if this one ends with a KO or submission? Maybe the boxing matches come together, but those would be awful for fans who already had to sit through that ugly fight with Mayweather.
Granted, McGregor is the favorite going into Saturday’s fight but anything can happen, especially against such a battle-tested veteran like Cowboy Cerrone.
McGregor has been much more controlled and respectful in the events during fight week. Crazy Conor has not emerged yet, and I don’t think it will.
You have to think the UFC and McGregor both know what’s on the line Saturday night.
Because it’s a whole heck of a lot.
Thursday’s biggest winner: Not the Astros!
So yeah, this sign-stealing scandal in MLB just continues to get more wild each day. On Thursday rumors started to float around that Jose Altuve and other members of the Astros wore buzzers on their shoulders that helped them steal signs, which would be just insane. Oh, and other MLB players voiced their anger over all of this for the first time on Thursday. This is a huge mess for MLB and it might get even worse.
Quick hits: NFL title game picks… Koepka’s sick burn… Stephen A. loses it over Kyrie… And more!
– Who’s going to win this weekend’s NFC and AFC Championship Games? Here are our picks against the spread.
– Brooks Koepka had the absolute perfect response to Bryson DeChambeau’s comments about his abs.
Stephen A. Smith lost his mind over Kyrie Irving’s latest comments about the Nets.
Demi Lovato will be singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl and here’s some good research for gamblers.
(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)