UFC 246 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions for McGregor vs. Cowboy
UFC 246 is littered with fighters out to prove they still belong in the spotlight.
Exhibit A is Conor McGregor. The Notorious is once again a UFC headliner after over a year away from the Octagon on the heels of his fourth-round submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title. McGregor makes his return against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in a welterweight fight.
Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington feature in the co-main event. The former women's bantamweight champion Holm has long been a household name in MMA circles, but at 38 years old, it's fair to question if her days as a title contender are gone.
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The main card will get started with yet another fight featuring a former UFC champion, with Anthony Pettis making his return to the lightweight division he once reigned over.
The result of so many fighters trying to convince they're still on top of their games should be a fun night for fans. Here's a look at the complete card, along with the latest odds and a last-minute look at the three biggest fights on the card.
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET)
- Conor McGregor -330 (bet $330 to win $100) vs. Donald Cerrone +260 ($100 bet wins $260)
- Holly Holm (-140) vs. Raquel Pennington (+110)
- Aleksei Oleinik (+110) vs. Maurice Greene (-140)
- Anthony Pettis (+200) vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira (-250)
- Brian Kelleher (+115) vs. Ode Osbourne (-145)
Prelims (ESPN at 8 p.m. ET)
- Maycee Barber (-1000) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (+650)
- Sodiq Yusuff (-145) vs. Andre Fili (+115)
- Tim Elliott (+120) vs. Askar Askarov (-150)
- Nasrat Haqparast (-330) vs. Drew Dober (+260)
Prelims (Fight Pass (6:15 p.m. ET)
- Aleksa Camur (-125) vs. Justin Ledet (-105)
- Sabina Mazo (-115) vs. JJ Aldrich (-115)
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone
This fight is a business decision for the UFC.
One of the most marketable fighters and biggest cash cows for the organization took a beating in his last fight. While he had his moments, Nurmagomedov mostly had his way with McGregor in a heated grudge match.
Ultimately, McGregor's talk, striking and fight IQ couldn't change the fact that Nurmagomedov is a freight train. He was mauled by the Eagle his last time out, and it's going to take some image and brand rebuilding for the Notorious to be up for another megafight.
Enter Cerrone.
The 36-year-old has been a promoter's dream throughout his career. He's always up for a fight and has remained active, racking up 50 bouts in 14 years. He's taken on some of the biggest names in the lightweight and welterweight divisions, so it would make sense he'd get the opportunity to make the massive amounts of money involved in a McGregor fight.
He doesn't have much of a shot, though. He's traditionally struggled with power punchers, southpaws and aggressive volume strikers. McGregor is a powerful striking southpaw who is able to push the pace.
In short, if McGregor is still the elite striker he once was, this will be easy pickings for him. He gets a high-profile win to set himself up with another megafight down the line, while Cerrone gets a great payday to once again show up and put on a fun fight.
Prediction: McGregor via second-round TKO
Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington
When Holly Holm first fought Raquel Pennington in 2015, she was a bit of an enigma making her UFC debut after a few MMA fights and still boxing professionally.
Holm was an intriguing prospect because of her background, but it was unclear if she'd be able to translate that success into becoming a UFC title contender.
Now, fighting her a second time, Holm is at a crossroads of a different kind. She has climbed the mountain—the win over Ronda Rousey will always be the highlight of her career—but she has said she still has her eye on another title run.
If the 38-year-old is truly going to be back in contention, it's now or never. She's coming off a loss to Amanda Nunes in her last title bid at 135 pounds. She is 2-5 in her last seven fights, but most of those have been for a title or a No. 1 contender spot.
This is Holm's opportunity to take a step down in competition, but Pennington could make a statement for herself. She has had a block when it comes to fighting the best opponents she has seen, but she has only lost two fights since her 2015 defeat to Holm: Germaine de Randamie and Amanda Nunes.
The winner of this fight will find themselves still in the thick of things in the bantamweight division. The loser—more importantly—is going to struggle to stay relevant.
Prediction: Holm via decision
Anthony Pettis vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
Much like Holm, Pettis' career has been highly unpredictable, and not in a good way. After capturing the lightweight title over Benson Henderson in 2013, it seemed he was ready to become a dominant champion. His face was even on a Wheaties box to prove it.
There have been flashes of that fighter. Submission wins over Michael Chiesa and Charles Oliveira, a surprising win over Stephen Thompson at welterweight. But for the most part, it's been a disappointing run for Showtime.
That's why he's an underdog against Ferreira. The Brazilian is on a tear right now with a five-fight win streak, and he looked incredible against Mairbek Taisumov in September.
Pettis has struggled in the past with fighters who can turn up the heat on him and are willing to wade through the middle ground to close the distance.
However, he seemingly found a new way to be successful in his win over Thompson. And while he threw away that game plan against Nate Diaz, he's looking to embrace it again.
"You look at the 'Wonderboy' fight. I got my nose broke, but I stayed so true to my game plan," Pettis told Nolan King and Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie on Thursday. "You saw my forward pressure, hands high, low kick, low kick, low kick. In the Diaz fight, I'm switching stances, throwing haymakers. It was a mental loss."
This could be Pettis' last chance to make himself a contender again. He's an underdog, but he always has a puncher's chance.
Prediction: Pettis via second-round TKO
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