Donald Cerrone plans to ‘stand up with’ Conor McGregor at UFC 246

Donald Cerrone is a fan favorite for a number of reasons, one of which is because he likes to give the folks their money’s worth. “Cowboy” plans to do exactly that when he faces the returning Conor McGregor next month.

Cerrone and McGregor will meet in the 170-pound main event of UFC 246. The event takes place Jan. 18 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

While many believe he has the advantage in the grappling department, Cerrone isn’t planning on taking this fight to the ground for however long it lasts.

“I’m going to go out there and stand up with him because that’s what everyone wants to see,” Donald Cerrone said in an interview with MMA Junkie. “Someone said earlier that’s like fighting not to win almost, but hell no. I’d rather go down in history as having the greatest fight ever and losing than fighting to just win and winning. I’m going out there to put on the line and throw down and give everyone what they want to see. To me, that’s what I want my legacy to be. I don’t want to be the guy that took the easy way and just ran the whole fight and tried to point fight. Hell, no. I’m going to stand and try to throw down.”

Both Cerrone and McGregor will be looking to get back to their winning ways when they headline the first pay-per-view event of 2020. The 36-year-old Cerrone is coming off of back-to-back losses to Tony Ferguson and, most recently, Justin Gaethje.

McGregor hasn’t tasted victory inside the Octagon in over three years when he made history knocking out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, capturing the lightweight title to become the first to hold two titles in two different weight classes simultaneously. “The Notorious” would go on to have a once in a lifetime opportunity to face Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring — losing via 10th round TKO — before returning to the UFC in October 2018. McGregor took on Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 229 and was submitted in the fourth round by the unbeaten champion.

Even with the long layoff and the many months between UFC wins, Cerrone is expecting the best version of McGregor when they collide in a marquis showdown at UFC 246.

“(I’m expecting) the same hungry kid there’s always been,” Cerrone said. “He’s coming to knock my head off. There’s a lot weighing on this fight so I’m probably going to get the best Conor McGregor out there.”

Who will get their hand raised at UFC 246, Donald Cerrone or Conor McGregor?