The hype for Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone isn’t being built on a war of words.
While the UFC has attempted to get the buzz going with banter between McGregor and “Cowboy” from 2015, the UFC 246 headliners aren’t interested in starting a beef. That became abundantly clear during last night’s (Jan. 15) UFC 246 pre-fight press conference.
McGregor & Cerrone Remain Cordial Before UFC 246
McGregor did predict a knockout win over Cerrone this weekend (Jan. 18), but he didn’t do so in a brash way. The “Notorious” one showed respect for “Cowboy’s” skills inside the Octagon (h/t MMAJunkie.com).
“I’m in a position now where I’m just very, very excited to be here, and I’m very eager to perform for the fans on January 18th,” said McGregor, who predicted he’d knock out Cerrone. “I’ve got a solid opponent in front of me, a veteran of the game, and I’m just in a good spot. That’s it. I don’t think I’ve changed or altered, or, you know, I’m just committed and focused and happy to be here.”
At one point, McGregor praised Cerrone for becoming a family man. “Cowboy” let it be known that he is eager to share the Octagon with McGregor.
“I’m going to go in there and (expletive) give it all we got,” Cerrone said in exactly the manner you’d expect from someone who’s gotten his own limited-edition Budweiser cans on fight week. “Yeah, man, I am going five rounds with this dude, and I cannot (expletive) wait until Saturday.”
