Stephen A. Smith takes pride in accurately predicting Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith recently took pride in his prediction of Conor McGregor's steamroll victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in 2020.
The Irishman returned to the octagon after two years away, following his infamous loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 and the chaos that ensued post-fight. In need of a win, Cerrone was seen as the perfect tune-up fight for the Irishman as he remained a fan favorite but was approaching the latter stages of his career.
The pair headlined UFC 246 in a welterweight clash, with fans eager to see which version of McGregor stepped into the octagon after another extended period away. 'The Notorious' was quick to answer his critics, however, as he dominated Cerrone from the starting bell, utilizing shoulder strikes to bust open the American's nose.
Soon after, Conor McGregor lined up a head kick that rocked 'Cowboy,' and a flurry of punches ended the fight via TKO in just 40 seconds.
3 years ago today.
Conor McGregor TKO's Cerrone in 40 seconds. https://t.co/xdUgwqnsLU
In a recent appearance on the FULL SEND PODCAST, Stephen A. Smith reflected on his prediction of the fight. At the time, and by his own admission, Smith was new to covering MMA and was still learning the sport. Despite that, the 55-year-old claimed he could see the fear in Cerrone's eyes as he looked at Conor McGregor:
"I don't know MMA, but I know a scared dude when I see one...That night, with those lights on, he [Cerrone] was scared of Conor. I have seen throughout the years, the bigger the stage, the brighter the lights, that's what affects a particular athlete. That night, that's what I saw from Donald Cerrone."
Catch the podcast here:
Daniel Cormier pushes Charles Oliveira to get "personal" for fight with Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is expected to make his highly anticipated UFC return later this year. Although no opponent has been confirmed as yet, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and Charles Oliveira are all leading the list as potential contenders for the Irishman.
Whilst discussing McGregor's return on his podcast, Daniel Cormier stated that he'd like to see 'The Notorious' thrown down with 'do Bronx' in the octagon. To make it happen, however, 'DC' believes Oliveira must get the 34-year-old's attention by getting personal and insulting him:
"I really believe that for Charles Oliveira now, not holding that belt - that belt was the one thing that made him valuable to Conor because Conor thought, 'well, this is a guy that strikes, this is a guy that can be hurt, this is a guy that holds the championship so I want to fight that dude', but when you talk about star power and risk management, you ain't looking to fight 'Do Bronx' if it ain't for something so grand like a championship."
Cormier added:
"If he really does want an opportunity, I think Oliveira needs to talk more about McGregor and be more insulting about McGregor...'Do Bronx', get personal, get nasty if you want to cash that check."
Catch Cormier's comments here: