UFC: Stephen A Smith takes a victory lap as Donald Cerrone admits ‘I didn’t turn up’ vs Conor McGregor
- ESPN sports personality says ‘all you MMA folks ... am I off my rocker now?’
- ‘When you’ve covered sports intimately as a reporter for a quarter-century, you see things sometimes’
Well it looks like Stephen A Smith got the last laugh.
The renowned ESPN analyst and sports commentator was pilloried on MMA social media for his controversial dismissal of Donald Cerrone’s “atrocious” performance against Conor McGregor at UFC 246 in January. Former featherweight and lightweight McGregor tore through “Cowboy” in just 40 seconds, winning via TKO by strikes.
Smith was working the pay-per-view broadcast for ESPN at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and gave Cerrone some equally rough treatment with a scathing review, saying the veteran “gave up” in the Octagon. But now after Cerrone admitted “I didn’t turn up” for the fight, Smith was quick to take a victory lap.
“So all you MMA folks – who I profoundly respect – am I off my rocker now??? When you’ve covered sports intimately as a reporter for a quarter-century, you see things sometimes,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I respect the hell out of @Cowboycerrone, but he just wasn’t there that night,” Smith added.