Seton Hall
The impact UFC 246 will have on two divisions in the UFC
Date: January 17, 2020By: Michael Daly
The eyes of the MMA world will be focused on the main event of UFC 246 in Las Vegas, at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night.
The fight between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone is more than just a redemption fight for McGregor or a legacy fight for Cerrone. The future of the lightweight and welterweight divisions could be directly impacted based upon the outcome of this bout.
A win for McGregor could keep him at the welterweight division for his next fight or it could thrust him into title contention in the lightweight division to face the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Tony Ferguson at UFC 249.
McGregor is not a true 170-pounder because he is underweight heading into this welterweight fight. He only has two fights at the weight class. McGregor detailed the strategic plan behind this fight taking place at 170-pounds, as opposed to 155-pounds.
“I just don’t think [Cerrone] looks well at 155. He’s a 170-pound fighter,” McGregor said. “Why would I want him to suffer? I could beat him at any weight. I could beat him if I had the flu.”
This fight is certainly a calculated risk for McGregor because he is giving Cerrone a distinct advantage in weight. If he is able to beat “Cowboy” Cerrone, then it will show that he is able to win when the playing field is geared in favor of his opponent.
In 2020, McGregor plans to have three fights and he believes that his second fight will take place in Brooklyn on the UFC 249 card in April. The main reason why McGregor plans on fighting on this card is due to the ominous history of Nurmagomedov and Ferguson’s fights never taking place. The fight failed to take place on four separate occasions from 2015-2018.
If one of the two fighters in the main event pulls out, McGregor plans on stepping in and fighting for the lightweight championship again.
Another option for McGregor could be him challenging Jorge Masvidal for the BMF title at 170-pounds. Dana White advised McGregor to not take the Masvidal fight because of the size difference, but that motivated McGregor to prove White wrong.
Many MMA fans overlooked Cerrone when the fight on Jan. 18, was first announced on Thanksgiving. It is important to remember that Cerrone is the winningest fighter in UFC history with 23 wins, 16 finishes, and 18 post-fight bonuses. Cerrone was stopped in his last two fights, which forced people to question if he is still in the prime of his career.
“Cowboy” Cerrone is still a legitimate threat to McGregor and should not be taken lightly. A win for him at this stage of his career against McGregor allows him to ride off in the sunset or even jump back into title contention in both divisions, based on the public demand.
Before his last two fights, Cerrone was on a three-fight winning streak and seemed to turn the tide of his career.
McGregor and Cerrone have a tremendous amount of respect for one another, which is unusual to see in the lead up to a fight that McGregor is featured in. The winner of this fight will see several doors open for them in either the lightweight division or the welterweight division.
Michael Daly is the Web Editor at WSOU Sports and can be reached at wsousportswebeditor@gmail.com.
