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Conor McGregor is back in the driver’s seat after dismantling Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246 in just 40 seconds earlier this month (highlights HERE).
It was certainly a matchup that favored the quicker and more powerful McGregor, but Cerrone is as tough as they (contrary to belief). “Notorious” did what he needed to do to regain momentum after a 15-month layoff and position himself for a massive 2020 comeback campaign.
After his main event finish over Cerrone at UFC 246, McGregor, who is usually quick to point the finger at opponents he’d like to fight, took a more calculated and reserved approach to his upcoming wish list. Instead of calling out the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jorge Masvidal, Justin Gaethje, and even Nate Diaz, “Notorious” kept things rolling and proclaimed himself ready for anyone.
“Listen, I think a lot of Conor’s brilliance is his authenticity,” McGregor’s manager Audie Attar told MMA Fighting. “I think that response was authentic Conor. It wasn’t a premeditated or planned thing where he decided not to necessarily name anybody’s name but there are a dozen or so options out for him that make sense.
“Depending on which one makes the most sense depending on a number of different motivations, that’s who he’s going to go with. I don’t think it’s planned or premeditated but I would agree, it’s brilliant. Sometimes his authenticity is that brilliance.”
McGregor, who tasted victory inside of the Octagon earlier this month for the first time since 2016, is gearing up for a huge return to power in 2020. His calmed persona and refined dedication to fighting could take the Irishman to an entirely new level, which is exactly why McGregor has returned to training after knocking out Cerrone just two weeks ago. “Notorious” will also be talking with his team in the coming days about his next potential fight.
“We had dinner the next day and he was training the last few days,” Attar revealed. “He’s already back at it. I’ll see him again tomorrow for the next few days and we’re going to constantly talk about it.
“So we’ve already started. He’s staying ready, that’s for sure. So we’ll see. These are talks that are going to be ongoing. I’d dare to say they’ve already started between us.”
While McGregor seemed incredibly focused and dedicated for his UFC 246 clash with Cerrone, fight fans are unsure how long the former UFC champion can keep this same zen-like approach to fighting. It has certainly helped McGregor reclaim some sort of dominance entering 2020, but with so many ventures to take care of the Irish superstar will really have to hone in moving forward.
“You’re always busy with Conor. Conor is a global superstar,” Attar said. “Now we’ve launched a whiskey company, we have an apparel company, we have a fitness venture launching, we have all these different businesses going on. It’s always busy but I think when you throw in three fight cards for him as well for him to be on and headline, it takes things to a different level.
“Yes it’s going to be busy but we welcome that. We’re super excited for it. I think we’re all on the same page when it comes to ambition and goals and so that’s really fun to see when you’re entire team is in sync. I think we all welcome that type of work load. We don’t look at it as pressure. We look at it as opportunity.”