Conor McGregor Has Successful Return, Stopping Donald Cerrone In Under A Minute

In quick fashion, Conor McGregor defeated Donald Cerrone via strikes in the first minute of the UFC 246 main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

McGregor was aggressive from start to finish, winning in under a minute. He charged at Cerrone at the start, landing a knee to the head after missing a punch. McGregor threw strikes in the clinch, including elbows.

What put Cerrone down was a head kick, and following strikes by McGregor made referee Herb Dean step in and end the fight.

“I like this weight division it’s really good … I don’t believe I’m there yet though, I still have to do to get back to where I was.”

The win was McGregor’s return to welterweight, last fighting at the class when he fought Nate Diaz twice in 2016. McGregor is a former champion in the lightweight and featherweight class.

Many high ranked welterweight names like Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal were present at the event.

In the co-main event of UFC 246, Holly Holm glided to a safe scorecard victory win over Raquel Pennington.

Future MMA 11 Full Report

Future FC kicked off their 2020 calendar with “Future MMA 11,” featuring nine televised fights. In the main event, undefeated Loibe Neto and Gabriel Braga faced off. The card has a good mix of experienced fighters and up-and-coming undefeated fighters.

Quick Results:

Bout 1: Pedro Machado def. Maicon Pitbull via Submission, Ankle Lock (RD 1)

Bout 2: Elvis Caicara def. Christiano Billy via Decision

Bout 3: Marcos Sorriso def. Robson Punk via KO, Punches (RD 3)

Bout 4: Leonardo Leleco def. Flavio Magon via Submission, Ezekiel Choke (RD 1)

Bout 5: Luann Panterinha def. Fabio Nascimento via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2)

Bout 6: Thiago Manchinha def. Alireza Noei via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 3)

Bout 7: Rodrigo Jones def. Alexandre Silva via Decision

Bout 8: Jailton Malhadinho def. Leonardo Black via TKO, Punches (RD 1)

Bout 9: Gabriel Braga def. Loibe Neto via Decision

Full Report

Bout 1: Maicon Pitbull (0-0) vs. Pedro Machado (2-0) (Welterweight)

Welterweights kicked off the night, with Maicon Pitbull debuting against undefeated Pedro Machado. Machado went into a standing clinch early, getting a takedown eventually. Pitbull threw some elbows from the ground. Pitbull was able to flip into top position eventually. Machado tried for an ankle lock, locking it in and making Pitbull tap out. Extending his undefeated record, Pedro Machado got a quick win on the ground.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pitbull
Machado

Bout 2: Cristiano Billy (3-1) vs. Elvis Caicara (5-1) (Lightweight)

The next fight saw Elvis Caicara and Christiano Billy face off. Billy came in slightly over the lightweight limit for this fight. The fighters traded leg kicks in the first minute. They both threw some punches early on, but nothing connected. Billy circled the outside of the decagon while Caicara stayed in the centre. Halfway through the round, Caicara threw a combination of hooks then put Billy up against the cage. He eventually scored a takedown. They stood back up shortly after. Caircara shot for another takedown in the final minute but didn’t get it this time. Billy landed some good punches exiting the clinch at the end of the round, which seemingly rocked Caircara.

Caicara was coming forward with punches early in the second round. Billy connected with good punch combinations. Caicara clinched up, but Billy escaped again. Caicara had his own good combo of punches in the second minute. It turned into a real striking battle in this round. Caicara went into another clinch up against the cage until the round ended.

Caicara was landing singular shots throughout the final round. They were doing only striking until the final minute, where Ciacara put Billy against the cage again. The fight went the distance, with Elvis Caicara getting the win via decision.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Billy	10	9	9	28
Caicara	9	10	10	29

Bout 3: Robson Punk (12-7) vs. Marcos Sorriso (12-3) (Catchweight 150 lbs)

The third fight of the evening saw Robson Punk fight Marcos Sorriso. Punk was extremely ripped for this fight and did not look like he weighed 150 pounds. But he did. Punk shot in for a takedown early. He slipped a little while coming in, but threw Sorriso down. Sorriso stood up almost immediately but was pinned against the cage. Punk picked up Sorriso, carried him across the cage and then threw him down. When he got back up, Sorriso found Punk on his back, throwing him around. When they left clinch, Sorriso got some good punches in. Punk retreated across the cage, getting chased down with punches. Punk was throwing punches in return, but was eating more shots.

After a minute of both fighters throwing shots in the second round, Punk shot in for another takedown. He held onto it for more than a minute, but never finished his takedown. There was clear fatigue showing at this point. While they were both working a slow pace, Sorriso threw some good punches, targeting the legs, body and head of Punk.

In the first minute of the final round, Punk landed a punch that dropped Sorriso. He got back up, where Punk then shot again for a takedown. He didn’t get the takedown and they returned to stand-up. Punk shook Sorriso with more punches. Punk got a takedown, getting on the back of Sorriso, who got back to his feet eventually. Punk stayed pinned to Sorriso, failing to score another takedown before the referee separated them. With a minute and a half left in the round, Punk made Sorriso wobble again due to a shot. In the final minute of the fight, Sorriso threw a flying knee which knocked Punk out cold. A rough final round for Marcos Sorriso didn’t matter, after a knockout stoppage gave him the win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Punk	9	9
Sorriso	10	10

Bout 4: Flavio Magon (20-11) vs. Leonardo Leleco (12-6-1) (Heavyweight)

The next fight saw former-UFC fighter Leonardo Leleco face Flavio Magon in a heavyweight tilt. Leleco was the more active fighter early on, shooting for a takedown in the first mintue. Magon grabbed the cage to avoid a takedown, which made the referee pause the fight and deduct a point from him. They resumed up against the cage. They separated and returned to stand-up after being there for a while. Leleco tried for another takedown, not getting it again. Upon another attempt, Leleco was actually able to trip Magon and get him to the ground. Leleco transitioned into a side position where he put in the rare Ezekiel choke to make Magon tap out.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Magon
Lelecon

Bout 5: Luann Panterinha (4-0) vs. Fabio Nascimento (14-0) (Featherweight)

The next fight was a classic undefeated versus undefeated matchup. Featherweights Luann Panterinha and Fabio Nascimento fought. Paterinha came forward aggressively at the start, charging towards Nascimento. Nascimento dumped Paterinha to the ground in the third minute of the fight, scoring a takedown. When they got back up, Panterinha tried for a guillotine choke. Panterinha threw Nascimento to the ground, then landed some good strikes in the closing seconds. Panterinha seemingly slipped and fell, causing Nascimento to get on his back as the round ended. Very back and forth round.

Both fighters were connecting with good fists in the second round. Nascimento tried for a single leg takedown, although Panterinha avoided it and put in a guillotine choke while standing up. They went to the ground while Panterinha still held onto the choke. Nascimento eventually escaped. Panterinha was dominant on the ground, throwing punches for the rest of the time he was there. Panterinha tried for a rear naked choke, with Nascimento tapping out in the final few seconds of the round. Ending the long undefeated record of Fabio Nascimento, Luann Panterinha advanced himself to five-straight wins.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Panterinha	10
Nascimento	9

Bout 6: Thiago Manchinha (16-8) vs. Alireza Noei (6-1) (Catchweight 149 lbs)

Continuing with the show, Thiago Manchinha fought Alireza Noei in a catchweight fight. Noei was the sole fighter on this card that was not from Brazil, fighting out of Iran. Manchinha was the more controlling striker at the start. Noei shot for a takedown in the second minute, although Manchinha didn’t allow it. With two minutes left in the round, Noei landed a left hook which dropped Manchinha. Noei kept with ground and pound, although could not finish the fight. He eventually slowed down his pace, keeping top position on the ground. Noei shot for another takedown as the round ended.

Noei got a takedown in the first minute of the second round. When they got back up, Manchinha landed a head kick which cut Noei open. Noei tried for a takedown on Manchinha but was bleeding a lot on the canvas. They got back up after not being on the ground for too long. The left eye of Noei was swelling up. He shot in for another takedown. They never went to the ground, going back to stand-up. Manchinha went into a standing clinch, breaking up moments after.

Manchinha was head hunting with strikes at the start of the final round. Manchinha scored a leg kick which had Noei panicking. Noei ran way, but was taken down by Manchinha and hit with strikes. When they stood back up, Manchinha scored more punches. Noei shot for a takedown, but when they went to the ground Manchinha had a rear naked choke in. He kept with the choke until Noei went out cold, ending the fight. After an absolute war of a battle, Thiago Manchinha got a win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Manchinha	8	10
Noei	10	9

Bout 7: Rodrigo Jones (8-1) vs. Alexandre Silva (6-1) (Middleweight)

In the seventh fight of the evening, Rodrigo Jones and Alexandre Silva fought in a middleweight bout. For some reason, Jones was wearing the older design of Future FC MMA gloves. Jones got a takedown in the first minute of the fight. Jones was dominant on the ground, although didn’t do much, causing the referee to stand them up. After landing some punches, Jones tried for another takedown. They stayed on the ground until the round ended.

Silva was more active at the start of the second round, throwing lots of strikes. Jones tried for another takedown, although Silva was able to stay on his feet this time. Before Jones tried for another takedown, Silva threw some more good punches.

Jones put Silva up against the cage again to start the third round. The referee brought them back to the centre of the cage. Jones threw some punches then put Silva against the cage again. He got a takedown this time. Silva got up in the final 10 seconds of the fight. The fight lasted all 15 minutes, with the judges handing the win to Rodrigo Jones.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Jones	10	10	10	30
Silva	9	9	9	27

Bout 8: Leonardo Black (5-2) vs. Jailton Malhadinho (10-2) (Light Heavyweight)

The sole light heavyweight bout of the card saw Leonardo Black faced Jailton Malhadinho. Malhadinho got a takedown in the first 15 seconds of the fight. After a while, Malhadinho started to throw punches from top position. He didn’t stop until the referee stepped in, ending the bout. With a dominant and quick win, Jailton Malhadinho racked another win to his record.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Black
Malhadinho

Bout 9: Loibe Neto (4-0) vs. Gabriel Braga (4-0) (Featherweight)

Finally, the main event of the evening saw undefeated featherweights Loibe Neto and Gabriel Braga face off. As the main event kicked off, most of the venue was still empty. Like many fighters on this card, Braga came from the Curitiba gym Evolucao Thai MMA. Neto tried for a takedown in the second minute of the fight, but it didn’t work out for him. Braga kept Neto to the ground, getting on his back. He flipped over and got top position in half guard. He stood up and started to throw some punches to the grounded Neto. He was dominant on the ground until the round ended.

In the second round, Braga had the better stand-up. There was a short pause as Neto was poked in the eye. While Braga was out-striking, Neto had his moments too. Braga landed a very good right-cross with a minute to go in the round.

Neto had a good start to the final round, landing punches and a knee to the body. Braga landed an elbow to the head in the clinch. Neto was landing lots of combinations, often ending with that knee. Braga scored another hard right hand to Neto. A right-cross moments after had Neto backpedalling. Braga kept the pressure, walking down Neto and keeping him against the cage. Neto came forward a little, bringing Braga to the centre of the cage, although went back to being against the cage shortly after. They were seemingly throwing everything at each other in the final minute of the fight. After an action packed final round, the fight went to the judges. When going to decision, Gabriel Braga won, retaining his undefeated record.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Neto	9	9	10	28
Braga	10	10	9	29

UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy Preview

UFC prefers to have the main events of their high-tier cards with a championship belt attached. You see that nearly every time there’s a pay-per-view. But, sometimes, they make exceptions. Sometimes due to the main event being scrapped last minute, and other times due to large star power. This was seem in November, with Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz fighting in Madison Square Garden for an imaginary belt, “The Baddest M*****F*****” belt. Masvidal’s explosive mainstream rise in 2019 allowed him to pair himself with Diaz, and draw a fair amount of viewers.

This exception will be made yet again this weekend, with arguably the biggest UFC star in the last decade, Conor McGregor, making his octagon return against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The fight is easily the lowest-caliber one McGrgeor has seen in a long time, although a good test for a star who has lost more than he has won in recent years.

With those losses lies a question of when the diamond that is McGregor will lose his value. Can McGregor afford to lose again, better-yet to a fighter who is a gatekeeper to the division? Well, to answer that question would be getting ahead of ourselves, because it’s not a relevant question unless he actually loses. And that will be found out this weekend in the main event of UFC 246.

As it is a pay-per-view event, the card features many recognizable names to UFC fans throughout. Live this Saturday from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, let’s preview this weekend’s UFC 246 card.

Bout 1: Sabina Mazo (7-1) vs. JJ Aldrich (8-3) (Flyweight)

The evening will begin at 6:30PM EST with three fights on the UFC Fight Pass early prelims. The first of the trio is between flyweights Sabina Mazo and JJ Aldrich. Two fights into her UFC career, Mazo has a 1-1 record, recently winning over Shana Dobson via decision. Aldrich has much more experience in the big leagues, with a 4-2 record since joining the UFC in 2016.

Bout 2: Ode Osbourne (8-2) vs. Brian Kelleher (19-10) (Bantamweight)

Dana White’s Contender Series winner Ode Osbourne will see his UFC debut in a fight against Brian Kelleher, who will try to break his two-fight losing streak. Osbourne finished Armando Villarreal with an armbar within a round on the Contender Series to earn his contract. Kelleher last lost to Montel Jackson in late 2018. He was absent throughout 2019, as a scheduled fight in May against Mitch Gagnon was cancelled due to an injury.

Bout 3: Aleksa Camur (5-0) vs. Justin Ledet (9-2) (Light Heavyweight)

The fight following Osbourne versus Kelleher is one that feels like the exact same scenario. Aleksa Camur, who got a UFC contract through the Contender Series will face Justin Ledet, who is on a two-fight losing streak. Camur has won all five of his pro fights via strikes, being undefeated as a pro and amateur. Ledet’s last fight saw him fall victim to the unpredictable striking of Johnny Walker, back in February.

Bout 4: Nasrat Haqparast (11-2) vs. Drew Dober (21-9) (Lightweight)

At 8PM EST, the preliminary card will switch to ESPN (TSN 3 in Canada) for four more bouts. The first of the group is a lightweight bout between Nasrat Haqparast and Drew Dober. After a road bump UFC debut against Marcin Held, Haqparast has won three in a row, most recently over Joaquim Silva. Dober has much more experience in the UFC, fighting for the promotion since 2013. His most recent win saw him stop Polo Reyes in just over a minute.

Bout 5: Tim Elliott (15-9-1) vs. Askar Askarov (10-0-1) (Flyweight)

In September, Askar Askarov made his UFC debut, wagering his undefeated record. And while he remained undefeated, he did not see the satisfaction of a win, going to a draw against Brandon Moreno. This time around he will face Tim Elliott, who has a 2-3 record in the UFC, recently losing to Deiveson Figueiredo. In a thin division like the flyweight one, a win could bring either fighter into higher relevance.

Bout 6: Andre Fili (20-6) vs. Sodiq Yusuff (10-1) (Featherweight)

Since winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Sodiq Yusuff has been flawless in the UFC at 3-0. Now, he will see the biggest challenge of his career so far, facing Andre Fili. The now-UFC veteran has a 7-5 record within the promotion.

Bout 7: Maycee Barber (8-0) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (23-16) (Flyweight)

Still undefeated three fights into her UFC career, Maycee Barber could easily be the top flyweight prospect. However, her next matchup should be a good text, as she will face Roxanne Modafferi. “The Happy Warrior” has been fighting since 2003, with a current 2-3 record in the UFC. There’s no doubt that Modafferi’s advantage in this matchup is experience. However, experience means nothing until it’s used in competition. Many have written off Modafferi, with Vegas odds having her as a heavy underdog.

Bout 8: Anthony Pettis (22-9) vs. Diego Ferreira (16-2) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the pay-per-view portion of the card at 10PM EST will be Anthony Pettis and Diego Ferreira. Brazil’s Ferreira has been on fire lately, on a five-fight winning streak. Pettis is coming off a loss, going to decision against Nate Diaz. In the fight before that, Pettis became the first fighter to knock out Stephen Thompson, landing a superman punch in the first round.

Claudia Gadelha versus Alexa Grasso was meant to also be on the main card, but was cancelled due to the fighters not being within a three pounds of eachother. Grasso couldn’t make the 116-pound strawweight limit, coming in at 121 pounds.

Bout 10: Alexey Oleinik (57-13-1) vs. Maurice Greene (8-3) (Heavyweight)

With a 3-1 record so far in the UFC, Maurice Greene could be described as a prospect for the heavyweight division. However, similar to the Barber/Modafferi matchup earlier in the card, he will face the extremely experienced Alexey Oleinik in his next fight. Oleinik has been finished in his last two fights, those being losses to Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris. After a three-fight winning streak, Greene saw his first UFC setback in October when he lost to Sergey Pavlovich.

Bout 11: Holly Holm (12-5) vs. Raquel Pennington (10-7) (Bantamweight)

The co-main event of the evening will see Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington compete. The fight is Holm’s return after losing to Amanda Nunes in July, failing to take the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Pennington got a split decision in the same month over Irene Aldana, snapping her losing streak. Like most of this card, this fight hasn’t gotten much attention in the media. That could be because there’s no real angle or explicit implications for whoever wins this.

Bout 12: Conor McGregor (21-4) vs. Donald Cerrone (36-13) (Welterweight)

Finally, the main event will be between “The Notorious” Conor McGregor and “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone. Like mentioned before, this fight is one for McGregor that skill-wise is the lowest quality opponent he’s gotten in a while. However, it’s not sure where his skill lies too, so this bout could be a good litmus test for him.

McGregor’s last fight was a failed attempt to win the UFC Lightweight Championship in October of 2018, tapping out to a rear naked choke in the fourth round. His last mixed-martial-arts fight before then was in fall of 2016, winning over Eddie Alvarez. Since his last fight, McGregor has found himself entrenched in controversy outside of the octagon. In August, McGregor plead guilty to assault, following an incident where he punched a man in a Dublin bar. He was given a 1,000 euro fine for the incident.

Also during the layoff, the New York Times reported that two investigations for sexual assault were launched on McGregor. When the allegations were brought up at a press conference on Wednesday, the crowd and panelists reacted negatively.

Cerrone has fought five times since McGregor last fought. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak, dropping to Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. Before then however, Cerrone won three in a row, notably going five rounds with Al Iaquinta.

The fight is held at welterweight, which is uncommon for McGregor. Cerrone has fought in welterweight before, but not in recent bouts.

Following UFC 246, the next UFC event will be on January 25th, in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, going head-to-head with Bellator’s show in California. The next pay-per-view event by the UFC is on February 8th, with Jon Jones attempting to defend his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Dominic Reyes.

UFC 246 Ceremonial Weigh-Ins

In preparation for tomorrow’s UFC 246 pay-per-view event, all 24 athletes competing at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA weighed in for their specific weight class.

In a way to promote the event and showcase the matchups which will go down tomorrow, UFC presents a livestream of fighters doing their ceremonial weigh-ins, including face-offs of every matchup.

Watch live as the UFC 246 ceremonial weigh-ins take place at 6PM EST, or in replay anytime afterwards with the link below.

Alexa Grasso vs. Claudia Gadelha Taken Off UFC 246 Card

UFC 246 has seen a change to it’s main card, as Alexa Grasso and Claudia Gadelha have been taken off of it.

The fight cancellation was done by the Nevada State Atheltic Commission on Friday, as Alexa Grasso came in over the 116-pound strawweight limit, weighing 121.5 pounds.

Nevada rules for the strawweight division are that the fighters have to be within three pounds of each other to compete.

The matchup was meant to be on the pay-per-view portion of the UFC 246 card, which is set to be headlined by Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout.

Renato Moicano To Move Up To Lightweight For Bout Against Damir Hadzovic on UFC on ESPN+ 28 Card

Longtime featherweight fighter Renato Moicano will make the move up to lightweight in March, facing Damir Hadzovic on the UFC on ESPN+ 28 card in Brazil.

First reported by Combate and MMAJunkie, news broke Thursday that Moicano had found his first opponent in the weight class.

Moicano lost his last two fights, getting finished by Jose Aldo and more recently “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in a main event bout.

Hadzovic dropped to Christos Giagos in his last fight via unanimous decision. In total, he has a 3-3 record in his UFC run.

Kevin Lee and Charles Oliveira main event the card, which has lots of Brazil influence on it. UFC on ESPN+ 28 will go down on March 14th, in Brasilia, Brazil.

Here’s the full card so far:

Bout 1: Kevin Lee (18-5) vs. Charles Oliveira (28-8) (Lightweight)

Bout 2: Paige VanZant (8-4) vs. Amanda Ribas (8-1) (Strawweight)

Bout 3: Johnny Walker (17-4) vs. Nikita Krylov (26-7) (Light Heavyweight)

Bout 4: Elizeu Zaleski (21-6) vs. Alexey Kunchenko (20-1) (Welterweight)

Bout 5: Jussier Formiga (23-6) vs. Brandon Moreno (16-5-1) (Flyweight)

Bout 6: Demian Maia (28-9) vs. Gilbert Burns (17-3) (Welterweight)

Bout 7: Francisco Trinaldo (24-7) vs. John Makdessi (17-6) (Lightweight)

Bout 8: Mayra Bueno Silva (6-0) vs. Maryna Moroz (9-3) (Flyweight)

Bout 9: Veronica Macedo (6-3-1) vs. Bea Malecki (1-0) (Bantamweight)

Bout 10: Rani Yahya (26-10) vs. Enrique Barzola (16-5-1) (Bantamweight)

Bout 11: Bruno Silva (11-4-1) vs. Su Mudaerji (12-4) (Bantamweight)

Bout 12: Renato Moicano (13-3-1) vs. Damir Hadzovic (13-5) (Lightweight)

Bruno Silva To Face Su Mudaerji on UFC on ESPN+ 28 Card

UFC’s March card in Brazil saw an addition on Thursday, as Bruno Silva and Su Mudaerji was booked, per a report by Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting.

Brazil’s Silva is still seeking his first win in the UFC, failing to do so in his debut against Khalid Taha in October.

Mudaerji got his first win in the UFC in his last outing, going to decision against Andre Soukhamthath in August. Before then, he lost his UFC debut to Louis Smolka, getting caught in an armbar in the second round.