Number one lightweight contender Tony Ferguson believes Donald Cerrone would be a dangerous opponent for the returning Conor McGregor.
Set for his highly-anticipated mixed martial arts comeback, ‘The Notorious’ will take on Cerrone in the main event of UFC 246 on January 18, 2020 in Brooklyn, New York.
McGregor is on a search for his first win in three years and is looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 last year.
The last time the Irishman won an MMA fight was in 2016, when he defeated Eddie Alvarez on their lightweight title clash.
Aside from ending the drought, McGregor also seeks to become a more active fighter next year.
If he wins at UFC 246, he plans to appear in another welterweight bout, potentially against Nate Diaz or Jorge Masvidal, before facing Nurmagomedov in a grudge match.
But for ‘El Cucuy,’ Cerrone could play spoiler to McGregor’s plan.
Good Matchup
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, the former interim lightweight champion said the UFC 246 main event clash between the two fan-favourites would be a sure treat to the fans.
However, if Cerrone’s kicking game comes to play, Ferguson said the Irishman will be in danger.
“I have to say if Cerrone kicks him to the chops, McGregor is going to fall like a ton of bricks,” he said when asked about his prediction for the welterweight bout (transcript from The Irish Sun).
“But, like I always say, I’m going to go for a double-knockout.”
“I think they are going to go in there guns blazing.”
“I think it is going to be a good fight, I can’t wait to watch it.”
Cerrone is currently on a two-fight losing streak at 155 pounds, with his most recent defeat coming at the hands of Justin Gaethje, when they headlined a UFC fight night in Vancouver last September.
His last outing at 170 pounds was in November 2018, where he defeated Mike Perry via first-round submission.
Not Surprised
Ferguson, who will challenge Nurmagomedov in April 2020, also said he is not surprised that some fans are more excited to see their lightweight title clash than the Cerrone vs McGregor showdown.
“No absolutely not. I believe that the fans understand that this is a super-fight.”
“You got two gamer opponents that can go all the way up to heavyweight and handle the best of them.”
“I know Khabib. He’s got a whole country behind him and what we’re going to do is we’re going to gain a whole other country behind us.”
“We already have the Russian fan base. They already like me better than that dude.”
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Donald Cerrone and Conor McGregor, YouTube/The Mac Life)