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Video After The Jump

Ariel Helwani and Chael Sonnen discuss Conor McGregor's UFC 246 win over Cowboy Cerrone and why they think McGregor's next fight should be against Nate Diaz.

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Video After The Jump

On Episode 3 of UFC 246 Embedded, bantamweight Raquel Pennington and fiancée Tecia Torres do meal prep at home and compare weight-cutting moods. Headliner Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone trades pre-fight hijinks for family-friendly Las Vegas sightseeing. His opponent Conor McGregor joins forces with bantamweight Holly Holm at athlete check-in. And fight week obligations are underway for stars of the card including lightweight opponents Diego Ferreira and Anthony Pettis, plus strawweights Claudia Gadelha and Alexa Grasso. UFC 246 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the return of Conor McGregor on Saturday, January 18th. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

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On Episode 6 of UFC 246 Embedded, welterweight headliner Donald Cerrone relaxes in the comfort of making an easy weight cut to 170 lbs.  Anthony “Showtime” Pettis discusses how his technique of handling his own weight cut helps him.  Conor McGregor shows up to the UFC 246: Ceremonial weigh-ins with his son and crowds roar as the headliners position for a final flex-and-faceoff and deliver their thoughts in anticipation for the fight. UFC 246 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the three title fights taking place Saturday January 18. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV 

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On Episode 4 of UFC 246 Embedded, headliner Conor McGregor takes questions and photos. Bantamweight Raquel Pennington sweats out the effects of a long flight while opponent Holly Holm clocks familiar names on the Ultimate Fighter jersey wall. Fans pack the Palms for a press conference between McGregor and the fittingly-dressed Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, with football star Chad Ochocinco in attendance. UFC 246 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the return of Conor McGregor on Saturday, January 18th. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Conor McGregor’s opening flurry — a punch that missed, followed by shoulder and elbow shots to the face — bloodied Donald Cerrone’s nose. He then floored Cerrone only 20 seconds into the bout with a perfectly placed kick to the head, and he mercilessly finished on the ground.

HE. IS. BACK.

@TheNotoriousMMA CLOSES THE SHOW EARLY! WOW! #UFC246 pic.twitter.com/0B0NXbi6pY

— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2020

When he paraded around the ring with an Irish flag on his shoulders to celebrate, the mixed martial arts world knew McGregor is back with a big bang.

The Irish former two-division champion came out of a three-year stretch of relative inactivity and outside-the-cage troubles with a welterweight performance in UFC 246 on Saturday night that echoed his greatest fights during his unparalleled rise.

“I feel really good, and I came out of here unscathed,” McGregor said. “I’m in shape. We’ve got work to do to get back to where I was.”

After hurting Cerrone (36-14) with his first punch, McGregor (22-4) dropped him with a sublime kick to the jaw. McGregor pounced and forced referee Herb Dean to save Cerrone, delighting a sellout crowd of 19,040 at T-Mobile Arena.

McGregor’s hand hadn’t been raised in victory since November 2016, when he stopped lightweight Eddie Alvarez to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two championship belts simultaneously. With his fame and fortune multiplying, McGregor fought only his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather in 2017, and he lost a one-sided UFC bout to lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in late 2018.

“I wasn’t committed,” McGregor said afterward while speaking to reporters with a bottle of his Proper Twelve whiskey on the table before him. “I just felt like I disrespected the people that believed in me and supported me. That’s what led me to re-center myself and get back to where I was at.”

After a year spent out of competition and in repeated trouble with the law, McGregor got back into training and vowed to return to elite form. This dramatic victory over Cerrone indicated he’s well on his way, and McGregor has vowed to fight multiple times in 2020.

Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and veteran brawler Jorge Masvidal watched UFC 246 from cageside. Either man could be McGregor’s next opponent, but UFC President Dana White is pushing for a rematch with Nurmagomedov, who first fights Tony Ferguson in April.

“Any one of these mouthy fools can get it,” McGregor yelled into the microphone. “Every single one of them can get it. It does not matter. I’m back and I’m ready.”

 CONOR HAS A LIST!

Line them up, @TheNotoriousMMA is taking all comers! #UFC246 pic.twitter.com/thQithYM5X

— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2020

McGregor also wants to make up for his loss to Nurmagomedov, but he doesn’t want to wait until the champion is ready to fight again in late summer. McGregor wants an earlier fight, and he predicted that the Nurmagomedov-Ferguson fight will be scrapped, as it already has four times during those fighters’ careers.

Cerrone is the winningest fighter in UFC history with 23 victories, a mark that reflects both his durability and commitment to an uncommonly busy schedule. Cerrone, who also holds the UFC record with 16 stoppage wins, had fought a whopping 11 times since McGregor’s win over Alvarez, and he was in the cage for the 15th time since he lost his only UFC title shot in December 2015.

But Cerrone’s last two fights were stopped when he took too much damage, and he couldn’t block McGregor’s decisive kick or recover from the punishment on the ground.

“I’d never seen anything like that,” Cerrone said. “He busted my nose, it started bleeding, and he stepped back and head-kicked me. Oh, man. This happened this fast?”

A true pioneer of the game. 

Nothing but respect for @CowboyCerrone! #UFC246 pic.twitter.com/mVBUVQT06X

— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2020

Although many observers have scoffed, the 31-year-old McGregor believes he can reclaim the fearsome form he showed during his meteoric rise to unprecedented MMA success. He won 15 consecutive fights during a five-year run from low-profile shows in Dublin to the world’s biggest MMA events, stopping five straight elite UFC opponents with punches on the way up.

After his latest victory ended, McGregor peeled away briefly to celebrate, but quickly returned to comfort the disoriented Cerrone. When Cerrone’s grandmother, Jerry, entered the cage after the fight to hug her grandson, McGregor also hugged Jerry and got a kiss on the cheek.

Even after his prolonged absence — or maybe because of it — McGregor’s return was a huge seller on pay-per-view, according to White. The UFC said it made more than $11 million in ticket sales at T-Mobile Arena for the fourth-biggest gate total in the promotion’s history.

“This guy is such a huge superstar,” White said. “I put him up there with (Mike) Tyson, (Sugar Ray) Leonard, all of them. He’s got the biggest pay-per-view in history, and how many of the top 10 does he have? I don’t know. Coming up in his career, he’s been doubted for his talent, and he proves them wrong every time.”

An eager Vegas crowd showed up in person, with celebrities including Matthew McConaughey, Jeremy Renner and Dave Bautista, along with NFL stars Tom Brady, Christian McCaffrey, Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett and Jon Gruden.

Former bantamweight champion Holly Holm beat Raquel Pennington by unanimous decision in the penultimate bout of UFC 246. The 38-year-old Holm (13-5) had lost five of her seven fights since she memorably knocked out Ronda Rousey in November 2015.

Getting the job done! @HollyHolm starting 2020 off right at #UFC246! pic.twitter.com/G4HAa5BZ1a

— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2020

On the undercard, 37-year-old flyweight Roxanne Modafferi pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent UFC history with a one-sided decision victory over previously unbeaten 21-year-old Maycee Barber, the UFC’s top 125-pound prospect.

What a result! @RoxyFighter slowing The Future down at #UFC246! pic.twitter.com/yde8E9YELp

— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2020

Barber (8-1) injured her left knee during the bout, but Modafferi (24-16) was already dominating with the superior jiu-jitsu she has been practicing for Barber’s entire life. Modafferi was the biggest betting underdog on the UFC 246 card, facing 10-to-1 odds at some sports books.

Respect from @MayceeBarber after a hard fought contest! #UFC246 pic.twitter.com/awpobvLQmD

— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2020

Aleksei Oleinik, a 42-year-old heavyweight who made his pro debut in 1996, also beat Maurice Greene by submission in the second round.

If he grabs you, it’s over! 

@OleynikUFC with the submission in his 72nd(!) career fight! #UFC246

Get the E+ PPV  https://t.co/elacTGWGXe #UFC246 pic.twitter.com/wBtYHjAVXL

— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2020

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Video After The Jump

On Episode 1 of UFC 246 Embedded, former two-division champ Conor McGregor pushes himself at UFC Performance Institute. Bantamweight Raquel Pennington and fiancee Tecia Torres prepare for "Rocky's" rematch with Holly Holm... for a second time. After the long drive to Las Vegas, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone explores his digs then heads straight for the gym. And strawweight Claudia Gadelha arrives from a low-temperature, high-motivation training camp. UFC 246 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the return of Conor McGregor on Saturday, January 18th. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV 

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On Episode 2 of UFC 246 Embedded, headliner Cowboy Cerrone enjoys the blue collar side of Sin City. Bantamweight Raquel Pennington and fiance Tecia Torres unwind with a dog park visit and pedicures. Lightweight Diego Ferreira arrives in town with his wife and son for their first fight week in Las Vegas. Irish star Conor McGregor fakes his way through an interview about college (American) football and gets in another training session at UFC Performance Institute. UFC 246 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the return of Conor McGregor on Saturday, January 18th. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

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On Episode 5 of UFC 246 Embedded, welterweight headliner Donald Cerrone recovers at the Performance Institute alongside flyweights Maycee Barber and Sabino Mazo and Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin. Strawweight Alexa Grasso prepares to fight one of her heroes, and Conor McGregor enjoys fight week as a welterweight. At Ultimate Media Day, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and Diego Ferreira face off, as do Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington. UFC 246 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the return of Conor McGregor on Saturday, January 18th. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

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Video After The Jump

Relive one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in 2016. McGregor faces off against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at UFC 246 in Las Vegas on January 18, live on Pay-Per-View.

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Video After The Jump

Conor McGregor became the first person to hold two belts simultaneously after he defeated lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in 2016. On January 18 McGregor returns to the Octagon to face Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at UFC 246 live on Pay-Per-View.

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