Conor McGregor will be favored in his welterweight matchup against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone on Jan. 26.
McGregor opened at -275 (bet $275 to win $100), and the comeback on Cerrone is +215 (bet $100 to win $215) for their main-event matchup at UFC 246.
But should McGregor be favored?
McGregor is immensely popular and a former two-division champion, so he's earned his betting favorite status. Cerrone tasted defeat in six of his last 10 fights, including a first-round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Vancouver in September. Cowboy also turned 36 in March, while McGregor is 31 years old.
However, there are areas of concern for McGregor. The Irish superstar has been far less active in the cage than his American opponent. Cerrone has competed 14 times since the beginning of 2016, while McGregor has fought on only five occasions - one of those being a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in August 2017.
Cerrone will also have a height and reach advantage and has fought more frequently in the welterweight division than the SBG Ireland product. The fact that this matchup is taking place at 170 pounds also could suggest McGregor didn't have adequate time to cut to lightweight, where he's found most of his success.
McGregor should win this fight, but laying -275 on a fairly inactive fighter competing up a weight class doesn't make this a slam dunk pick. I would have the line closer to a pick 'em since both fighters face question marks heading into this non-title main event.
