UFC 246: Will Donald Cerrone Run it Back With Conor McGregor? If he Scores The Upset?

When Conor McGregor was submitted by Nate Diaz in 2016, he asked for an immediate rematch and got his wish. So, what if McGregor loses to Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 on Saturday, would “Cowboy” grant the “Notorious” one a rematch as well?

McGregor vs. Cerrone 2?

If you’ve followed McGregor over the years, then you know he fought Diaz in a welterweight bout in 2016, and was tapped out by the Stockton star. McGregor drove hard for an immediate rematch – at welterweight again – and Diaz agreed. In the second fight, however, McGregor emerged with the decision win.

Well, what if Cerrone ends up spoiling McGregor’s Octagon return this Saturday? Would he be down to fight the controversial superstar again? When asked this question during the pre-fight presser for UFC 246, Cerrone said this (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“Hey, sure,” Cerrone said. “I would because I don’t care. The who never matters to me. It’s always the when and the where. I heard him yesterday talking about April sounds free – or April, March, whatever the (expletive) they said sounds good to me. I would love to get right back on and get in there in March. So, yeah (I would do an immediate rematch).”

“Saturday night we’re going to blow the roof off this mother(expletive), so I can’t wait,” Cerrone said. “‘Cowboy’ is showing up for the big one.”

But would a rematch get tabled?

So, the fact “Cowboy” says he would grant McGregor a rematch isn’t a surprise. After all, we’re talking about one of the most active fighters in all of MMA, who has fought a who’s who of the UFC roster over the years.

But…if Cerrone does score the upset on Saturday, would the UFC look at booking an immediate rematch? It’s an interesting question.

If Cerrone beats McGregor via a close decision, especially if a lot of people score the fight for the latter, then yes. It’s possible. It almost goes out without saying that if Cerrone wins a controversial decision, or in a controversial fashion, then it’s very likely the UFC would look at a rematch. After all, McGregor remains one of the biggest names in the game, and once he returns to the win column even bigger bouts will materialize.

But, if Cerrone finishes McGregor, either via strikes or submission, it’s hard to imagine the UFC running it back. When McGregor lost to Diaz in 2016, he hadn’t lost yet in the Octagon and had won 15 straight prior to the defeat.

Fast forward to today, however, and McGregor’s coming off a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov. So, if he loses to Cerrone, it really isn’t clear what could be next for the former champ.