Watch: Conor McGregor Embraces Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone Immediately After TKO Victory

Heading into UFC 246, there were fans of the combat sport that were rooting against Conor McGregor due to viewing him as cocky. The Irishman ultimately achieved victory in a mere 40 seconds, but he turned heads after the victory with his actions. Instead of jumping onto the sides of the octagon and raising his arms to the crowd, McGregor embraced Donald Cerrone.

The cameras showed McGregor kneel down in front of his opponent and give him a hug after the fight was declared over. He continued to deliver a message that only Cerrone could hear. To cap off the interaction, McGregor kissed his opponent on the forehead before heading to celebrate his victory.

“Conor just had a different feel about him going into this fight, he didn’t act like a jerk. Seemed focused and ready to let his work in the fight do the talking, and that it did!” one user commented after the short bout. They wanted to praise McGregor for avoiding the talk and antics that would have irritated many viewers.

The embrace on the mat was not the only moment shared between the two fighters. McGregor also hugged Cerrone once again as announcer Bruce Buffer officially declared him the winner following the brief fight. The hugs continued as McGregor went over and embraced Cerrone’s grandmother, who walked toward the Irishman with her arms outstretched.

“Amazing moment in the Octagon,” one user wrote after watching the surprising moment. “Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone’s grandma embrace and share a hug. Respect. Love it. #UFC246” Many others expressed the opinion that this was a truly sweet moment while McGregor praised Cerrone’s grandmother during a postgame interview.

“She’s an amazing woman,” McGregor said to a reporter. “She was here for the first fight, the first fight of the night. What a woman, who has raised such a phenomenal fighter that’s etched in the annals of this game. Much respect to the Cerrones and that family.”

The 82-year-old Jerry Cerrone had originally predicted that her grandson would be able to achieve victory if he lasted beyond the first round and took McGregor to the mat. She said that “the first round is Conor’s. The rest of the fight is Cowboy’s.”

Her prediction did not pan out correctly after McGregor achieved victory in 40 seconds with the TKO. That became less of a story, however, as more fans focused on the heartwarming embrace.

(Photo Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty)