UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy fight card, preview, date, India time and TV info

Bengaluru, January 16: The Ultimate Fighting Championship opens 2020 in their base with a thrilling welterweight bout in UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy.

In the event's headliner, former lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor makes his long awaited return to the Octagon against perennial fan favorite Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.

In the co-main event, former women's bantamweight champion and No. 3 ranked contender Holly Holm will take on No. 6 ranked Raquel Pennington in a highly anticipated rematch.

Former UFC lightweight champion and No. 11 ranked contender Anthony Pettis also features on the card in which he will return to 155 pounds against surging Diego Ferreira.

Also on the main card, No. 12 ranked Aleksei Oleinik locks horns with Maurice Greene in a clash of heavyweight contenders, while No. 6 ranked women's strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha goes up against rising No. 11 Alexa Grasso to round off the main card.

Meanwhile, in the prelims, we will see the likes of Roxanne Modafferi, Maycee Barber, Andre Fili, Sodiq Yusuff, Tim Elliot, Drew Dober, Nasrat Haqparast, Justin Ledet, Brian Kelleher, JJ Aldrich and more in action.

Here is all you need to know about UFC 246:

Fight location, date, start time and telecast information

When and where does UFC 246 take place?

The event takes place on Saturday (January 18) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, USA. Due to time difference the event will take place on Sunday (January 19) in India.

What time does UFC 246 start?

The preliminary card starts at 5 AM IST (January 19); 11.30 PM GMT (January 18), 3.30 PM Local Time (January 18). The main card, meanwhile, starts at 8.30 AM IST (January 19); 3 AM GMT (January 19); 7 PM Local Time (January 18).

How to watch UFC 246 in India?

Sony TEN 2 (English) and Sony TEN 3 (Hindi) will telecast the main card live, while Sony LIV will also live stream the main card featuring McGregor vs. Cowboy.

The preliminary card, meanwhile, can only be streamed using UFC Fight Pass in India.

McGregor vs. Cowboy: Main event preview

McGregor, who is arguably the biggest star in mixed martial arts history, became the first fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold championships in two divisions. Throughout his legendary career, he has earned spectacular victories over Eddie Alvarez, Nate Diaz, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes and Dustin Poirier. However, in his last outing he submitted to Khabib Nurmagomedow. So, McGregor now aims to prove he is still among the pound-for-pound best fighters on the planet by taking out another legend in Cerrone.

Cerrone, who is the record holder for most wins and finishes in UFC history, is no stranger to delivering iconic MMA moments. During his storied run, he has netted incredible finishes against Mike Perry, Matt Brown, Rick Story, Edson Barboza and Charles Oliveira. Cerrone now looks to continue building his legacy by securing another highlight-reel knockout in the biggest fight of his career.

That head kick tho⁉️

Can @HollyHolm stop Raquel Pennington at #UFC246? pic.twitter.com/bhFgBkm85M
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) 11 January 2020

Holm vs. Pennington: Co-main event preview

Holly Holm's UFC career began with a co-main event showdown against Raquel Pennington on pay-per-view. Saturday night in Las Vegas, a little less than five years after their first encounter, the bantamweight combatants will once again share the Octagon, serving as the co-main event at UFC 246.

Holm comes into this bout on the back of a loss to Amanda Nunes in a bantamweight championship scrap. Pennington, on the other hand, snapped a two-fight losing streak with a decision win over Irene Aldana in her most recent outing. So, both Holm and Pennington will hope to better the split decision result of their previous meeting.

Pettis vs. Ferreira preview

Pettis, a former UFC and WEC champion returns to lightweight after an exciting run at 170 pounds. He is one of the most dynamic finishers in MMA and has earned sensational stoppage victories over Stephen Thompson, Gilbert Melendez, Benson Henderson and Charles Oliveira. He now has his sights set on another big win against one of the division's toughest budding contenders.

Ferreira, who has been a lightweight division mainstay since 2014 comes into the fight, riding on a tremendous five-fight win streak. During this run, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has secured impressive victories against Mairbek Taisumov, Rustam Khabilov, Jared Gordon and Olivier Aubin-Mercier. Ferreira now hopes to add a former champion to his resume and crack the 155-pound top 15.