Sixty G’s baby!

Arsh Ajmera, Undergraduate batch of 2021

After nearly three and a half years, Conor McGregor was back with a bang. 40 seconds was all it took for him to knock Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone out at UFC 246. In less than a minute, McGregor produced shoulder strikes, a head kick and a flying knee, all with unbelievable effectiveness. For someone who spent fifteen months on the sidelines and repeatedly had trouble with the law, he was simply brilliant. McGregor made people forget that it has been three long years since his last win – all of this within forty seconds.

While not as jaw-dropping as his 13-second destruction of Jose Aldo to win the featherweight title back in 2015, this win is significant as well. When he put away Aldo, McGregor cemented his legend. The win over Cerrone reinforced that legend status. Victories like these are exactly what the Irishman needs to cement his place in history and banish the memories of the last few years’s legal troubles. After the encounter, McGregor said “Tonight’s my night, but I just put in the work and that’s it. There’s no secret sauce to this. Recognise what you need to do and fucking do it.They’ll wipe you off the map like that, so I’m happy to etch myself in history again.”

While Mcgregor continued to rain punches at Cerrone, his opponent did not land a single blow. His tendency for slow starts was always a worry given McGregor’s tendency to fly out of the blocks, and fly the Irishman did. There had also been additional concern over Cerrone’s ability to perform on the biggest stage of his career. It’s possible he was just a little happy to be here, and now he’s been sacrificed so the McGregor legend can live again. Of course, McGregor was never truly in danger of falling out of relevance. He could have not fought for another year and he’d still be the biggest game in town. His star power would have abided in defeat, albeit with another dent.But winning, and winning like this, reminds the sporting world why McGregor became such a big deal in the first place. Mcgregor yet again proved why he is the king of the jungle. “UFC can strip fighters and give fighters make-believe belts but they can’t take away knockout finishes” Mcgregor said directly after the fight. When asked about future plans he was quoted as saying “I’m back and I’m ready”. That future, it seems, will either concern Jorge Masvidal or a reunion with Khabib. But if there is anything we can take away from recent events, it is that Conor McGregor is well and truly back in business.