REIGNING UFC FEATHERWEIGHT champion Jose Aldo has laughed off the decision of the vast majority of bookmakers to install interim title-holder Conor McGregor as the favourite for their 145lbs title unification bout at UFC 194. Whichever camp you’re in, “The Notorious” has certainly played his part in building up what is one of the most highly anticipated title fights in UFC history. There’s no doubt that Aldo has had some issues with the UFC over the past year or so. The Irish superstar dropped his hands, dared Mendes to swing and derided him for his attempts.
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McGregor said that he believes he will knockout Aldo during the fight taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, MMA Mania reported.
Because McGregor was able to get under Aldo’s skin during their 10-city press tour earlier this year, and the Brazilian was forced to pull out of the original bout after suffering cracked ribs two weeks before the contest, he’ll enter the Octagon as the favourite on fight night. The pound-for-pound number one. The only featherweight champion.
McGregor became a star after he turned his remarkable bluster directly on Aldo, the biggest bully on the playground.
“When you have an athlete that does everything to make sure people don’t tune in, you have an athlete who makes sure people don’t know where, when, how to get tickets, where the pay-per-view is, what time it starts, what day the fight is – that’s not a great sign”. “Some friends of mine are friends with Jon Kavanagh [McGregor’s coach] and we were out drinking one night after he’d had his first big win, and I kind of follow MMA so I said, ‘Geez he’s getting big now, if you want I can do a bit of boxing sparring if you need it.’ I didn’t realise how big he was!” he said.
Unusually laid-back, the 27-year-old exuded an eerie sense of calm as he methodically responded to the media’s questions; a far cry from the snarling urchin who tormented Jose Aldo on previous occasions. There are few precedents to such a long-reigning UFC champion being treated with such indifference. I see him crumbling. I will be a ghost in there. I think he deserves a little more respect. He will think I am not there, and then I am there. There are a lot of featherweight fights going on this weekend and I’ll wait for a contender to emerge. Conor still disposed of Chad Mendes and he wasn’t half the fighter he is most of the time.
“If he can come and bring a war and we can do this for five rounds, then maybe I will consider a rematch, but I feel he won’t get off the stool and answer that bell for the second round”, says McGregor. He’s an absolute machine in training, I’ve watched him train and he gave me some tips on other stuff to help me. McGregor and Rousey are friends, and they’ve shown parallel abilities to sell both their fights and their personas.
With a combined professional record of 43-3, neither of these fighters are particularly familiar with the taste of defeat.
So much attention has been devoted to McGregor’s advantages – the most cited being his size, power and Southpaw stance – it’s nearly as if it’s forgotten that Aldo has just as many edges if not more. Aldo may be the most balanced fighter in the sport. He’s quicker. He’s a more proven grappler. It’s just that he’s not the type of fighter that McGregor should put his guard down against. “You’ve never seen a weekend like this”.
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“He’s making me money so I’m happy”. This one will be a spectacle.
