Donald Cerrone is expecting to face a “hungry” and motivated Conor McGregor in their January showdown. Cerrone will welcome the former two-division champion back to the Octagon in the main event of UFC 246 on January 18.
The bout will be McGregor’s first since losing his UFC 229 grudge match with Khabib Nurmagomedov – his successor at the summit of the lightweight division – last October.
Given his lengthy layoff and hefty bank account, many have questioned McGregor’s motivation to compete ahead of his 12th appearance inside the Octagon.
Cerrone is doing so such thing ahead of the biggest fight of his career and is expecting to face a McGregor hell-bent on making a statement at his expense.
“(I’m expecting) the same hungry kid there’s always been,” Cerrone said of McGregor during an interview with MMA Junkie. “He’s coming to knock my head off.
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“I’m going to go out there and stand up with him because that’s what everyone wants to see,” Cerrone said. “Someone said earlier that’s like fighting not to win almost, but hell no.
“I’d rather go down in history as having the greatest fight ever and losing than fighting to just win and winning.
“I’m going out there to put on the line and throw down and give everyone what they want to see. To me, that’s what I want my legacy to be.
“I don’t want to be the guy that took the easy way and just ran the whole fight and tried to point fight. Hell, no. I’m going to stand and try to throw down.”
McGregor’s motivation hasn’t been a topic of thought for his striking coach Owen Roddy, who believes a fire has been lit in the Dubliner’s belly.
“I think it’s great seeing Conor back enjoying what he’s doing, that’s the more important thing for me, for everybody and for Conor,” the SBG Charlestown head coach told MMA Fighting. “You can see it in him – he’s enjoying it.
“I don’t know, he’s had a crazy couple of years man…I don’t know how he copes…nobody knows how he deals with what he deals with because there is so much…I can only imagine.
“He has so many businesses; I’m running my own business here and it’s 24/7.
“He’s got businesses that are worth millions and he’s got so much going, it’s chaotic I’d say.
“Now he’s after sorting everything out and he’s back doing what he loves to do.
“I think when you start to see some footage of him training, he starts to do his interviews and he starts building the fight, you’re going to see the old Conor back…I can see that already.
“When people see that, they’re going to say, ‘That’s the Conor we fell in love with.’ He has that hunger again. A hungry, dedicated and motivated Conor McGregor is a scary dude.”