UFC 246: 5 things we learned after Conor McGregor's spectacular win over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone

UFC 246 is in the books in what turned out to be a fantastic PPV. The only thing that would have made it perfect was if Holly Holm vs Raquel Pennington ended in a finish, making the main card complete with finishes.

The main event, of course, saw the return of "The Notorious One" Conor McGregor after 15 months - which built up some incredible anticipation. Despite no title on the line, Conor McGregor proved that he's still the biggest star in the entire sport as the sold-out arena was packed with celebrities in the front seat.

Just as with every major Conor McGregor fight, this one had a larger-than-life feel to it and it delivered most unexpectedly. Some were complaining about the overall strength of the card but they need to understand that when you have a star as big as Conor McGregor - the PPV sells purely based on the headliner.

This allows UFC to feature more up-and-coming fighters on the card and give them the exposure in front of millions of people watching around the globe. Here are five major things we learned from the PPV.

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#5 Diego Ferreira is a legitimate contender

Pettis v Ferreira

The Brazilian Diego Ferreira hasn't lost in four years now. The last time he lost was when Dustin Poirier finished him four years ago. While he hasn't been the most active fighter, 2018 and 2019 saw him take a step in the right direction again.

And 2020 is where a big road begins for him. In the opener of the night, the Brazilian dominated Anthony Pettis, taking him to the ground and making it a tough fight for him. He ended up finishing Pettis via a neck crank submission, cementing that he's here to stay. Get him in the rankings already!

#4 Maycee Barber is going to need more time to grow

Modafferi v Barber

Maycee Barber is one of the youngest fighters on the roster at just 21. She was undefeated before UFC 246 with a record of 8-0. She faced a woman in Roxanne Modafferi who is 16 years older than her and though Barber was the biggest favorite on the card to win her fight, she was defeated decisively by a unanimous decision.

She also "partially tore" her ACL during the fight, meaning there was no chance for her to come back. The veteran took advantage and coasted her way to a win. Barber is going to be out for a while and needs to be eased back in with selected opponents.

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#3 The first quarter of the year is unbelievably stacked

What a main event

We have an idea as to what UFC has planned with its events in the first quarter of the year. The announcements of Israel Adesanya vs Yoel Romero for the Middleweight title and Tyron Woodley vs Leon Edwards at UFC London was made official, cementing the fact that the first four months are unbelievably stacked.

Think of this - by April we will have seen Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Weili Zhang, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Valentina Shevchenko, Israel Adesanya, Yoel Romero, Tyron Woodley, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Tony Ferguson, Rose Namanjunas and more with their first fights of the year.

#2 Holly Holm is more motivated than ever, but UFC needs to be careful

Holm v Pennington

It was clear that Holly Holm is more motivated than ever. After losing to Amanda Nunes, Holm got all her mojo back and it could be seen in her mannerism when entering the Octagon. While many weren't excited about Holm's fight against Raquel Pennington and her gameplan - a win is a win.

Holm stuck to her strategy and used the clinch to easily coast her way to a unanimous decision victory. While it's great that she's back in the "W" column, UFC shouldn't rush her into another title shot. Either way, both the 135 and 145-pound titles are held by Amanda Nunes and as long as the Brazilian is champion, Holm will be away from the title.

She needs to be eased in with slightly lower-ranked contenders before she can get back in the title hunt.

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#1 The King is back - what's next for him?

McGregor v Cerrone

Conor McGregor made his much-anticipated return to the Octagon and decimated Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in a whopping 40 seconds to cement his return. While many options are lying ahead of him, Dana White wouldn't accept anything else for the Irishman except a rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

While the Russian Champion has been declining the rematch, Dana White doubled-down on why it should happen. The reason is money and nothing else. White also wants to book Jorge Masvidal vs Kamaru Usman and unless Conor McGregor chooses Masvidal, we're going to see him get a Lightweight title shot against the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson on April 18th. Justin Gaethje will have to wait it out longer, whether we like it or not.