Conor McGregor is on board.
Donald Cerrone wants it.
Even UFC president Dana White believes a fight between “Notorious” and “Cowboy” could happen.
But does it make sense?
Absolutely.
With the UFC’s new deal in place with ESPN, putting McGregor and Cerrone together in a five-round main event on one of the upcoming ESPN cards is the perfect answer to fight fans who have been outspoken over past pay-per-view events failing to deliver.
Yes, ESPN isn’t necessarily “free,” but with streaming providers and other outlets, there are very few fight fans that do not have ESPN in their home and are already paying for it. By giving them a fight between the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, and an ex-title contender that most fans adore, it would give the UFC the chance to “re-pay” those who have spent their hard earned money over the years.
McGregor responded to Cerrone’s remarks after he earned a win vs. Alexander Hernandez at UFC Fight Night 143 this past weekend, taking to Twitter to “accept.”
White told reporters after that “anything’s possible,” adding that “if fans want to see it, that’s what I do.”
Plenty of loops must be jumped through before anything can be made official. McGregor is still suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission, but the fight could possibly take place overseas in Ireland. That, though, might mess with the chance for it to air on prime-time on ESPN here in the U.S.
While Cerrone hasn’t really used trash-talking in the past to promote fights, you better believe the veteran could fire up that side of himself if he were put on the same platform as McGregor to work the crowds.
The soon-to-be 36-year-old Cerrone has won two in a row and holds the UFC record with 22 career victories and finishes with 16. He has secured a record 16 post-fight bonuses and always seems to be entertaining.
McGregor returned from an extended hiatus late last year, falling to Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title.