Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Conor McGregor made quick work of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at UFC 246, but showed a ton of respect for his opponent and his family after the fight.
- Conor McGregor dominated in his return to UFC action on Saturday night, knocking out veteran fighter Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in just 40 seconds.
- After the fight, McGregor was quick to show respect to Cerrone, going in to hug his fallen opponent, as well as his grandmother, who had entered the ring for support.
- Fans on Twitter expressed excitement to see McGregor showing love to the legendary fighter.
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Conor McGregor made a statement in his return to UFC action on Saturday night, knocking out veteran fighter Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in just 40 seconds.
McGregor charged right at the opening bell, and after missing a rocket of a left hand, clinched Cerrone and beat into his nose with his shoulder. After connecting with Cerrone's jaw with an impressive kick, McGregor sent his opponent to the ground and finished him off while some fans were still chewing their first bite of popcorn.
While McGregor has been disrespectful of some opponents in the past after his thunderous knockouts, he was quick to show love to Cerrone after his victory.
With 34 UFC bouts under his belt and a record 16 UFC finishes to his name, Cerrone is a legend of the sport. McGregor acknowledged as much after his knockout win, rushing over to hug his opponent.
McGregor's lovefest didn't stop there, as he also gave Cowboy's grandmother, Jerry Cerrone, a big hug in the ring as she entered to support her grandson.
On Twitter, fans loved the interaction.
While the amount of respect McGregor shows in his next fight will largely depend on his opponent, it's clear fans were excited to see the Irish fighter back in action on Saturday night.
- Read more:
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How Conor McGregor went from Dublin plumber to the king of combat sports
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Conor McGregor is a changed man now... He gave his opponent a hug and a kiss after bodying him in 40 seconds lol
- πππ«π«ππ πΈππ π€ (@outlawedlizzie) January 19, 2020We're in for a treat. We are entering the era of a motivated Conor McGregor. When someone's worth hundreds of millions and fights like this, that's a scary man. But my favorite moment from today has to be Conor and Cowboy's grandma sharing a hug#UFC246 #ConorVsCowboy pic.twitter.com/DvbG4dBenc
- Abhijit Bharadwaj (@TheOnlyAbhijit) January 19, 2020The ending tho warms my heart. Such growth from McGregor to hug his and care about his opponent https://t.co/TjueVmVaS4
- Katie Murphy ξ° (@kmurphhh13) January 19, 2020They're both really good sports which really makes me happy as soon as Its called McGregor pep talks Cowboy and kisses him on the head after the fight they hug it out the McGregor hugs Cowboys mom. It's just wholesome.
- Ben Godina (@GodinaBen) January 19, 2020