Conor McGregor

Welterweight fighters Conor McGregor (L) and Donald Cerrone face off during a ceremonial weigh-in for UFC 246 at Park Theater at Park MGM on January 17, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC president Dana White looks on at far left. McGregor will face Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

Conor McGregor vs Cowboy Cerrone: Preview, live stream, betting info

Conor McGregor makes his highly anticipated return to the UFC octagon with a bout against MMA veteran Donald Cerrone in Las Vegas.

Conor McGregor

Welterweight fighters Conor McGregor (L) and Donald Cerrone face off during a ceremonial weigh-in for UFC 246 at Park Theater at Park MGM on January 17, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC president Dana White looks on at far left. McGregor will face Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, Conor McGregor, returns to the Octagon on Saturday night (Sunday Morning SAST).

McGregor faces 36-year-old Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in his first fight since he retired from UFC.

Cerrone enters the fight in the midst of a three-bout losing streak and McGregor is confident of getting one over on the once number one contender for the lighweight strap.

McGregor will earn a cool $3 million just for turning up in Las Vegas while Cerrone could double his $200,000 appearance purse if he can put the Irishman away.

Ahead of the weigh-in McGregor said: “People are excited to see me compete, I come to fight, I come with excitement, I come to throw down, I come to create magic and people know that and I’m excited to give it to them.”

In assessing his opponent, McGregor said that he felt that Cerrone was a little fatigued from getting down to welterweight for the bout.

“He’s a little fatigued, I imagine he has had a bit of a cut. I imagine he’s had a heavy cut, he looks a bit drained.

“I’m fresh and I’m coming in to take him out, that’s all.”

No longer “Notorious Conor McGregor”

McGregor steered clear of his usual antics ahead of the bout in a departure from past appearances in the octagon.

That could be because his bad boy image and behaviour have alienated some fans.

McGregor lost his last UFC bout by fourth-round submission, tapping out to a rear-naked choke from lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. A post-fight brawl between McGregor and Nurmagomedov’s camps saw both men suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Cerrone lost three of his four bouts in 2019 and despite never claiming a UFC strap, he holds the records for the most knockdowns in the promotion.

McGregor vs Cerrone betting summary

McGregor is the overwhelming favourite (Odds at 0.3 on 18 Jan) for the bout against the taller American.

The odds on McGregor have lengthened since betting opened, but he remains heavily favoured to win in the estimation of the bookies.

Livestream Info

As a Pay-per-view bout there are numerous streaming options available abroad on BT Sports and ESPN+ but South Africans with a DSTV premium subscription can enjoy the entire UFC 246 card without any further charge.

The fight streams from 05:00 SAST on Sunday 19 January and will be available to stream through the DSTV Now App.