Conor McGregor demands apology from Stephen A. Smith for comments against Joe Rogan and Donald Cerrone

In the UFC 246 headliner, Conor McGregor marked his triumphant return to the Octagon by finishing off Donald Cerrone within 40 seconds of the very first round of the fight.

However, one man in particular, Stephen A. Smith, hasn't been the biggest fan of the conclusion to the McGregor-Cerrone bout, as not only did he criticize McGregor but also claimed that 'Cowboy' might have quit inside the Octagon.

Responding to Smith in a recent tweet, McGregor has asked the former to apologize for his comments, as well as for his recent comments towards Joe Rogan.

McGregor sends a message to Stephen A. Smith, calls for an apology

In response to Stephen A. Smith's recent comments, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan stated that the former shouldn't be commentating anymore nor should he be involved with the sport of MMA, especially with the UFC, in any particular space.

Smith, who took to Twitter and responded to Rogan with the following video, is yet to receive a response from the latter but did get a reply from 'The Notorious One', who has demanded an apology from Smith for his comments towards 'Cowboy'.

The call you discuss here is A+. I didn’t show enough. I’m not paid by the hour though. Joe’s comments however, come from you saying the opposition fighter quit. Broken nose/orbital bone say different. Fighting is vicious. Those who make the walk deserve full respect!Apologise.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 26, 2020

Smith also had a say in this:

Sir, mich respect to the great @TheNotoriousMMA. My recollection on what I said is “That’s the way it looked.” Cowboy Cerrone is a perennial top-10 fighter. Much respect to him for the lengthy career he has had. Wishing him nothing but the best. But I don’t think it’s unfair to..

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 26, 2020

What's next for Conor McGregor?

As of now, it still remains to be seen what's next for Conor McGregor in the UFC. However, expect the Irishman to make his return to the Octagon soon enough, possibly against 'Gamebred' Jorge Masvidal.