It was December 2015 and Conor McGregor was readying himself to fight Jose Aldo at UFC 194.
Sitting on the dais for that press conference, McGregor boasted about his skills and drew the ire of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.
“Conor has no right coming over to 155," Cerrone said at the time. "There is no way. He is not gonna stand a chance. We are too big for him. We are too strong. So, you can take your little English ass ..."
McGregor interrupted and fired off on his own warning to Cerrone: “You are too slow and too stiff. You are stiff as a board. I will snap you in half. And that’s it."
That exchange serves as an enticing backstory for McGregor and Cerrone to finally fight five years later in the main event of the UFC 246 pay-per-view on Saturday, Jan. 18 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
A huge 2020 lays in the balance for McGregor (21-4) with this bout. He’s coming off a fourth-round submission loss to rival Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018 and hasn’t won since November 2016, when he delivered a second-round TKO of Eddie Alvarez.
He’ll be up against a 36-year-old Cerrone (36-13, 1 no contest) who touts the most wins in UFC history, including the most finishes entering the bout. Cerrone has gone 0-2 in his last two fights — a first-round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje in September 2019 and a second-round TKO to Tony Ferguson in June.
That being said, Cerrone has been coveting this bout against McGregor for a long time, with “Notorious” fully expecting the best “Cowboy” he could get.
Will McGregor use this fight against Cerrone as a launching pad for his 2020 comeback tour, or will “Cowboy” make this bout the most memorable of his career with an upset win?
Here’s how to catch UFC 246.
What time does Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone in UFC 246 start?
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 18
- Start time:
- Early prelims: 7 p.m. ET
- Prelims: 8 p.m. ET
- Main card: 10 p.m. ET
- Main event: 12:15 a.m. ET (approximate)
UFC 246 will take place Saturday night, Jan. 18. Coverage for early prelims begins at 7 p.m. ET. Pay-per-view coverage for the main event begins at 10 p.m. ET, with McGregor and Cerrone expected to enter the octagon at around 12:15 a.m. ET, although the exact time depends on the earlier fights.
How to watch McGregor vs. Cerrone: TV channel and live stream for UFC 246
- TV channel: ESPN (prelims)
- Live stream: ESPN+ (early prelims and main card PPV)
Part of UFC 246 is available on ESPN, while part is on ESPN+. The early prelims can be seen on ESPN+, followed by the prelims on ESPN. The main card pay-per-view will then switch back to ESPN+.
ESPN+ can be downloaded on many smart TVs and other internet-connected devices. It is supported by iOS mobile devices, Android mobile devices, Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Playstation 3 and more.
UFC 246 PPV price: How much does McGregor vs. Cerrone cost?
The main card pay-per-view can be purchased for $64.99. An ESPN+ subscription is required to order the PPV.
UFC 246 fight card
Main card
- Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone; Welterweight
- Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington; Women's Bantamweight
- Aleksei Oleinik vs. Maurice Greene; Heavyweight
- Anthony Pettis vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira; Lightweight
Preliminary card
- Roxanne Modafferi vs. Maycee Barber; Women's Flyweight
- Andre Fili vs. Sodiq Yusuff; Featherweight
- Drew Dober vs. Nasrat Haqparast; Lightweight
- Chas Skelly vs. Grant Dawson; Featherweight
- Sabina Mazo vs. JJ Aldrich; Women's Flyweight
- Tim Elliott vs. Askar Askarov; Flyweight
- Brian Kelleher vs. Ode Osbourne; Bantamweight
- Aleksa Camur vs. Justin Ledet; Light Heavyweight