Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon as the favourite against Donald Cerrone, with his coach confident of a win.
Coach John Kavanagh says Conor McGregor is ready to show the “best version” of himself on Saturday evening against Donald Cerrone (Fight Winner – McGregor 2/7, Cerrone 5/2).
The 31-year-old Irishman returns to the Octagon for the first time since October 2018 and has a point to prove, with his last outing seeing him choked out by Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor has also battled doubts about his fitness, famously running out of gas in the second round of his first defeat against Nate Diaz at UFC196 but says he is in a “better place” heading into this fight in Las Vegas.
While he got revenge on Diaz later in 2016, he still has a point to prove in MMA having spent much of the last three years exploring other endeavours.
A defeat to Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring in 2017 was seen as a sideshow rather than the real deal, although despite the criticism, there is talk of a fight with Manny Pacquiao if he comes through Saturday’s bout with Cerrone.
The Cowboy is seen as an easy opponent having lost his last two fights but will see his rendezvous at the T-Mobile Arena as the chance to make a name for himself.
Kavanagh, however, is confident McGregor (4/9 To Win By Finish) will have no issues admitting that while he may have lost focus in the recent past, he is now as good as he’s ever been.
“I think he’s the best he’s been, because of his consistency over the last few months,” Kavanagh said in quotes carried by the Daily Mail.
“There’s a real return to it, smiling on the mat, enjoying it all … a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter. I think this is going to be the best version of him.”
