'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Any Conor McGregor fight is among the biggest in MMA history. He's not been active since November 2016 and has only fought once in MMA and once in boxing, apart from the major controversy and legal troubles that he had.
The Irishman reached the pinnacle of the sport, made history, got the biggest payday of his life against Floyd Mayweather and doesn't have much left to fight for. Notably, his rapid rise to the top was driven by a hunger for success and a hunger to be the best. In his early days, he was far from financially well-off and now that he's taken care of in that end, the question became as to what could motivate him.
It's hard in such cases to stay motivated and that's one of the reasons why former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion Colby Covington thinks that this fight is more favorable to Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. He spoke to BT Sport (H/T BJPenn.com) and brought up the fact that he couldn't even knock an old man off a bar stool:
“I’m going [with] Cowboy. I think Conor’s cashed out. He made all that money and let’s be honest, if you guys didn’t see that online video of him, he couldn’t even knock an old man off the stool in the bar, how is he going to knock out Cowboy?”
Covington certainly brings up a valid point about McGregor cashing out and making all that money. However, Dana White said that the UFC doctors told him that Conor McGregor is in the best shape that they've ever seen him.
McGregor's entire demeanor and mannerisms appear to be different. His drive and motivation are different as well and if he wins and starts being more active, the UFC is going to become a lot more interesting.
However, we would suggest anyone not to underestimate "Cowboy" Cerrone, who is a veteran of the sport in his own right, being a part of the record books in a big way.
