A series of defeats, health problems and a comfortable style: why did McGregor prefer the duel with Serrone versus Makhachev

Conor McGregor’s new rival is likely to be Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. This was in a conversation with TMZ said UFC President Dana White. At the same time, the functionary noted that at the moment the match has not yet been officially appointed.

“We do not have any agreement yet - the matter has not come close to this. I don’t even want to talk about it, because it may not happen at all. But we're considering a Cowboy option, ”White said.

In addition, the head of the Absolute Fighting Championship confirmed that a possible duel between McGregor and Cerrone could take place on January 18, 2020. Speaking about his return to the octagon at a press conference in Moscow, the Irishman himself also called this date. The tournament will take place at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas and will be the first major UFC show in 2020.

It is noteworthy that the Cowboy himself was the first to talk about a possible duel with McGregor. He noted that the negotiations on the conduct of the battle are indeed underway and expressed hope that they will succeed.

“I think this time it will happen. Conor is very serious about returning. It will be a fun match. He is a great fighter. I'm not going to belittle his dignity. He has very powerful strikes, ”said Cerrone.

It is worth noting that at the beginning of the year there was already talk about this meeting. Then McGregor admired Cerrone's early victory over Alexander Hernandez and declared that he was ready to fight the triumph himself. He agreed, but subsequently the battle did not take place. In a short period of time, the Irishman first completed his career and then resumed it, but by this moment Donald had already agreed on a fight with Al Yakvinta.

Subsequently, Cerrone dealt with the former opponent of Khabib Nurmagomedov, after which he suffered two defeats in a row. First, he was defeated by Tony Ferguson, and then knocked out by Justin Gatzy. During this time, McGregor managed to recover from a hand injury and begin preparations for his 12th match under the auspices of the UFC.

Donald has always been famous for not giving up calls and trying to get into the octagon as often as possible. Usually he spent at least three fights in a year, and in the first nine months of 2019 he fought four times in a cage. On the one hand, we can say that the American is in a constant tone and is a serious test for Conor. But on the other hand, he can safely be called the most convenient opponent for McGregor among the representatives of the top 5 lightweight and more suitable for him in style than the same Makhachev.

Firstly, Cerrone prefers to fight in a stance that is in McGregor's hand. Yes, he has solid skills on the ground, as evidenced by his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but Donald himself very rarely translates his opponents into canvas. He can perform a painful or suffocating trick, but he himself is unlikely to pull the Irish on the floor.

Most likely, the duel will take place on its feet, which will give McGregor not only a feeling of self-confidence again, but also use his strongest weapon - shock equipment. Cerrone is not much inferior to him in skill, but is unlikely to be able to withstand the pace of the vis-a-vis. Despite the apparent slowness, Conor very quickly beats with both hands and feet, which may well become a key factor.

Secondly, Cerrone has repeatedly conceded ahead of schedule, which once again speaks not in his favor. Damage from knockouts tends to accumulate, due to which the athlete becomes even more vulnerable to blows. It is enough to recall the examples of Andrei Orlovsky, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Fedor Emelianenko, who have recently become overly susceptible to hits. This was perfectly noticeable in the battle of the Russian with Ryan Bader, when the American did not have the most accented hook in the jaw to win.

Over the past four years, Donald lost four times by knockout, and he reacts very hard to blows not only to the head, but also to the body. All fighters are well aware that he is experiencing liver problems due to addiction to alcohol, and in 2006 he was forced to remove part of his intestines and stomach. The cowboy had a serious accident and was urgently operated on.

Do not forget that on the face of Cerrone hematomas are formed quite easily, which suits McGregor. The Irishman always concentrated on blows to the head, as a result of which, by the second round, he could provoke the appearance of several cuts. This is what helped Ferguson to succeed a lot, although Donald himself signed the surrender when he forgot about a nose fracture and decided to blow his nose. His eye closed instantly, which forced the judge to stop the bout.

In addition, the American is quite an aged fighter, and therefore it becomes increasingly difficult for him to perform in lightweight. At 36 years old, he is already too slow for a category in which athletes do not have the right to fall below certain speeds. This was very noticeable in the confrontation with Gatzy, who, although less inventive in the rack, but beats much faster and stronger.

Against the background of Serrone, Makhachev seems a much more difficult opponent for McGregor. He is eight years younger than the fifth rating number and has excellent skills in the stalls. Islam could be a great test for Conor and show whether he is ready to compete against Habib on equal terms in their possible second duel.

Undoubtedly, the Russian player is located noticeably lower in the ranking table and also has a knockout defeat in his liabilities, but a fight with him would be much more important for McGregor than a battle with Cerrone. In such a duel, the Irishman will not only be able to test his strength in the battle with the fighter, but also attract the attention of Nurmagomedov. A spectacular and early victory over Islam is guaranteed to provoke Khabib's desire for revenge and force him to agree to a rematch.

Cerrone is much more suitable for McGregor and is for him one of the lightest opponents in the top ten lightweight. Except for the same Yakvintu, who does not have the skills or physical ability to compete on equal terms with the ex-champion in two weight categories.