Mike Blake

Conor McGregor spent the days leading to his UFC return <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/15/muted-conor-mcgregor-plays-it-cool-unusually-subdued-pre-fight-news-conference/" target=_blank>keeping a humble profile</a> in stark contrast to his typical pre-fight bravado. The dynamic Irishman then made an emphatic statement inside the octagon Saturday night, disposing of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone via stoppage 40 seconds into the first round of the welterweight headline bout in UFC 246 in Las Vegas.

The technical knockout in front of a sold-out, star-studded crowd at T-Mobile Arena was the second quickest in McGregor’s career behind the 13 seconds it took him to finish Jose Aldo in 2015.

McGregor (22-4) took the fight to Cerrone (36-14, 1 no contest) immediately, landing a shoulder strike in the opening seconds that bloodied the nose of UFC’s career leader in wins, finishes and performance bonuses. With Cerrone hurt, McGregor, 31, wasted no time throttling his veteran opponent while in a clinch before a high kick sent Cerrone back into the cage.

Another left hand sent the 36-year-old Cerrone to the mat, and not long after that strike, referee Herb Dean halted the proceedings, with Cerrone all but helpless to defend himself against the only simultaneous two-division UFC champion.

“I made history here tonight,” said McGregor, who indicated he wants remain at 170 pounds but welcomes any and all challengers. “I set another record. I’m the first UFC fighter to secure knockouts in featherweight, lightweight and now welterweight.”

McGregor was fighting for the first time since October 2018, when he lost via fourth-round submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov, also at T-Mobile Arena.

What's next for Conor McGregor? Dana White wants a Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch.

McGregor revealed he had been drinking throughout training camp leading to the fight against Nurmagomedov, leaving him unfocused and underprepared. He left no doubt against Cerrone, proving his skills have not eroded despite the extended layoff.

“I had never seen anything like it,” Cerrone said after the loss. “I got my ass whipped early.”

Conor McGregor made a triumphant return to the octagon in UFC 246, scoring a decisive stoppage over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone less than a minute into the first round. In his first UFC bout since October 2018, McGregor bloodied Cerrone’s nose with a shoulder strike almost immediately after the opening bell before landing more strikes in a clinch and connecting with a high kick. A left hand sent Cerrone (36-14) to the mat, and soon after referee Herb Dean stopped the fight. McGregor improved to 22-4.

Conor McGregor’s first fight since October 2018 brought some high-profile Hollywood stars and professional athletes to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, including Tom Brady, Matthew McConaughey, Jeremy Renner, David Spade and Dave Bautista, a District native who gained fame as a professional wrestler before going on to star in films such as “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Boxers Tyson Fury — who faces Deontay Wilder Feb. 22 in a heayweight championship rematch in Las Vegas — and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/15/inside-claressa-shields-quest-make-boxing-history-before-taking-mma/?itid=lk_inline_manual_18" target="_blank">Claressa Shields</a> are also in attendance.

In the co-main event, Holly Holm beat Raquel Pennington in a rematch between the bantamweights, securing a unanimous three-round decision, with two judges scoring it 30-27 and a third 29-28. Holm (13-5) had scored a split decision in her UFC debut in 2015 against Pennington. This time, Holm had Pennington (10-8) in clinches for extended periods in the first and second rounds, not allowing her opponent to get her hands going.

Holly Holm v Raquel Pennington

Veteran heavyweight Aleksei Oleinik beat Maurice Greene at 4:38 of Round 2 via submission after locking in an arm bar. It was the 46th career submission for the 42-year-old Oleinik (58-13-1). He also had a chance for a submission in the first round with a scarf hold choke, but Greene (8-4) did not tap, instead getting saved by the bell after being in the hold for more than 30 seconds.

Experience topped youthful exuberance when Brian Kelleher (20-10) got Ode Osbourne into a guillotine choke at 2:49 of Round 1, winning by submission for the ninth time in his career. Osbourne (6-3) came out as the aggressor with a leg kick, but Kelleher countered with a take-down and quickly applied pressure to Osbourne’s neck to force the submission.

Diego Ferreira won via submission at 1:47 in Round 2 when he got Anthony Pettis to the ground and locked in a rear naked choke. A third-degree black belt in Brazilian jujitsu, Ferreira (18-2) won his sixth straight bout thanks to a superior ground game that kept Pettis (22-11) on the defensive virtually from the opening bell.

In a stunning development, McGregor, 31, is embracing humility this time. At a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/15/muted-conor-mcgregor-plays-it-cool-unusually-subdued-pre-fight-news-conference/?itid=lk_inline_manual_31">pre-fight news conference</a> Wednesday he called his opponent for Saturday night’s main event a worthy challenger, presenting a stark contrast to a verbal confrontation with Cerrone five years ago.

“It’s hard not to respect Donald,” McGregor said from The Palms in Las Vegas. “Although there will be blood spilled, it will not be bad blood.”

McGregor plays it cool in unusually subdued pre-fight news conference

McGregor (21-4) remains a heavy favorite heading into the fight and earlier in the week did offer a glimpse of his “Notorious” persona, issuing the following challenge to Cerrone on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thenotoriousmma/">his Instagram page</a>:

“First one to shoot’s a cowb---h,” McGregor wrote.

McGregor was referencing his perceived advantage in a stand-up fight, given his superior boxing skills and heavy left hand.

Cerrone, meanwhile, owns a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu and has more submissions on his résumé than knockouts. No one has fought more UFC-sanctioned bouts than Cerrone (36-13), who is on a two-match losing streak and perhaps nearing the end of his career.

“Timing is everything,” Cerrone said. “I’m going to have some fun on Saturday.”

There has been speculation, at least within McGregor’s camp, that Cerrone, 36, will announce his retirement following the scheduled five-round fight, particularly considering he’ll be collecting the most lucrative payday of his career, reportedly $1.3 million.

McGregor’s reported payout for the fight is $4.1 million, but he has a tiered pay-per-view contract with UFC stipulating that if the fight fetches more than 3 million buys, McGregor’s earnings could reach in the neighborhood of $30 million.

“Sometimes you’ve got to go to certain places in your life to realize what we need to do,” said McGregor, who remains the sport’s biggest draw. “I certainly turned over a new leaf. I feel I’m the same young man, but I definitely feel re-energized and refreshed.”

When: Main card (four fights) starts at 10 p.m. Eastern

Pay-per-view: An <a href="https://plus.espn.com/ufc/ppv">ESPN+</a> subscription <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/03/18/espn-subscriptions-will-now-be-required-buy-ufc-pay-per-view-events/?itid=lk_inline_manual_45">is required to watch the main card</a> on your TV or streaming device. It costs $84.98 including a year-long ESPN+ plan for first-time subscribers, $64.99 for current ESPN+ subscribers.

Main card: Lightweights Anthony Pettis (22-9) vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira (16-2); heavyweights Aleksei Oleinik (57-13-1) vs. Maurice Greene (8-3); women’s bantamweights Holly Holm (12-5) vs. Raquel Pennington (10-7); welterweights Conor McGregor (21-4) vs. Donald Cerrone (36-13).

(Another bout scheduled for the main card, between strawweights Claudia Gadelha and Alexa Grasso, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/boxing-mma/grasso-misses-weight-bout-with-gadelha-canceled-at-ufc-246/2020/01/17/0cef4d12-3961-11ea-a1ff-c48c1d59a4a1_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_47">was canceled Friday after Grasso missed weight</a>.)

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/15/inside-claressa-shields-quest-make-boxing-history-before-taking-mma/?itid=lk_inline_manual_49">Inside Claressa Shields’s quest to make boxing history before taking on MMA</a>

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/15/aaron-hernandez-netflix-documentary/?itid=lk_inline_manual_50">The eight most striking details from the Aaron Hernandez series on Netflix</a>

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/17/lsu-visits-white-house-celebrate-college-football-national-championship-with-trump/?itid=lk_inline_manual_51">Trump drags LSU football team into impeachment fervor during White House visit</a>

Georgetown University, BA in philosophy

Gene Wang is a sports reporter covering multiple beats, including Virginia and Virginia Tech football and basketball, national college football and basketball, the Wizards, boxing and golf. He has been with The Washington Post sports department since 1990, and has also written about other Washington teams and fantasy football.

Gene Wang

UFC 246: Conor McGregor defeats Cowboy Cerrone in return

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Conor McGregor, in return to UFC, beats overmatched Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds