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Coach Owen Roddy would love to see Conor McGregor return to the UFC against Donald Cerrone.
Although it’s still up in the air, it’s expected that former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor will return to the Octagon in January opposite fan favorite Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone.
Coach Owen Roddy, who says both he and SBG Ireland head coach John Kavanagh will be in McGregor’s corner for ‘The Notorious’s’ comeback fight, touted the ‘Cowboy’ matchup as one of the most entertaining fights for the fans.
“If it is ‘Cowboy,’ it would be an exciting fight, yeah,” Roddy said in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. “I said this a couple of months ago: ‘Cowboy’ and Conor is a great fight for the fans. Two guys that are exciting strikers – although ‘Cowboy’ is phenomenal on the ground, as well, but I think if it was a fight between them, it would be a striking battle, and I think it would be one for the fans, so if it is that, it’ll be an exciting one.”
Roddy, who serves as McGregor’s head striking coach, says ‘The Notorious’ is in ‘phenomenal shape’ despite not having fought in over a year.
“I know he’s working very hard. There’s no official date set yet, but Conor’s been training very hard, as you can see. He’s in good nick. If you’re looking at any of the pictures, he’s in phenomenal shape, he’s ready to go. I’m sure everybody’s excited to see him back.”
McGregor last fought at UFC 229 against undefeated lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, which saw the Dubliner submitted with a neck crank in the fourth round. It was, undoubtedly, the most lopsided defeat of McGregor’s career, but Roddy insists we didn’t get to see his prized student ‘anywhere near the best of his ability’ on fight night.
“Potentially, yeah, it was a tricky fight, and take nothing away from Khabib, he came in with a great gameplan,” he said. “He got off, and he executed. But I just don’t think Conor was anywhere near the best of his ability. He wasn’t as good as he can be, and Conor on a night, at 100 percent, can beat anybody in the world.”
Whatever happens in his next fight, Roddy just wants to see McGregor back in the UFC where he belongs.
“I just want to see Conor back in. “I think everybody just wants to see Conor back in the UFC, bring back that spectacle that is his fights. Nobody does it like Conor, and for me, I just want to see him back in there. Whatever happens after that, who knows?”