We have all waited so very long, but the day is (finally) fast approaching when Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor, both UFC champions, will step in the Octagon to settle their long-lasting, blood-boiling feud.
We’ve been through a World Tour and Embedded episodes and heard every McGregor soundbite under the sun. It feels like forever ago that this thing actually started, and it’s a wonder the man can still come up with new ways to both insult Aldo and lift his own stature. But through all the bluster, one thread has remained: there’s just something special about McGregor’s road to the top.
To discuss whether all of this has been destiny—and if McGregor is truly “Mystic Mac” as he says—or if it’s something else entirely, Bleacher Report lead writers Jeremy Botter and Jonathan Snowden joined forces to discuss The Question: is McGregor destined to beat Jose Aldo?
Jeremy Botter: Well, Jonathan: it is finally here.
The week we’ve been waiting for with baited breath for some six months has arrived. The UFC’s three-fight card circus hits Las Vegas this week with a curiously good selection of matchups, and all of them lead up to one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history: Aldo vs. McGregor.
I’ve had a difficult time picking this fight. Back in July, I leaned towards McGregor. But then I spent the past few weeks watching all of Aldo’s career fights, and I wanted to slap myself for forgetting just how good the reigning (real) champion is. McGregor is really good. Like, really good. But Aldo? He’s otherwordly, and has been for a decade.
But there’s something else that goes along with McGregor-mania. From the moment he gave that fateful interview in Cage Warriors years ago—where he claimed he would win two world titles in the UFC—to his meteoric rise through the promotion, McGregor has always felt like he has a bit of something else on his side. Something magical, perhaps. Some might call it destiny.
I don’t know if I subscribe to that idea. Sounds like a bunch of hokum, if you ask me. But I also concede that McGregor’s path to this point certainly feels like it had a bit of help, and I’m not even talking about the clear favoritism from the UFC brass who treat him like the cool kid they always wanted to be.
What about you? Is there such a thing as destiny? Does McGregor have it?
Jonathan Snowden: I don’t believe in the law of attraction. While my expertise extends only to a half-read Wikipedia entry, it’s absurd to suggest someone’s thoughts vibrate at a certain frequency, leaving a pathway for similar energy to return one hundred fold. If only life were that simple.
I do think, however, that fighters are battling two opponents—the athlete in the other corner and themselves. Confidence is everything, a truism most recently proven by former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.
For years Rousey ran over the opposition in a manner of minutes. Her reputation preceded her and her body all but crackled with violent energy before each fight. Foes were often beaten before the first bell rang.
When things were going her way, that mental energy propelled Rousey. But when Holly Holm put the first crack in her facade, you could see Rousey’s carefully cultivated confidence dissipitate in an instant. That’s how quickly things can change.
Like Rousey, McGregor really believes he’s unbeatable. He’s fully confident no man at 145 pounds can match him blow for blow. That’s powerful. Almost as powerful as mystic mumbo jumbo and ancient religions. And, until someone proves otherwise, it’s a confidence that is propelling him towards championship glory.
Jeremy: There’s certainly nobody as confident as McGregor in the MMA space. I mean, pretty much every fighter will tell you that they are confident they’ll get their hand raised, that they are better in every area than their opponent, blah blah blah. You know the drill.
But the thing about McGregor is that it feels like it goes beyond simple self-assurance. When I spent time reporting for a profile on him earlier this year, I was dumbfounded by his attitude and demeanor. The McGregor you see on TV is an amped-up version of the real thing, sure, because that’s what makes all of the great stars who they are. It’s their personality, only turned up a few dozen notches.
But make no mistake about it: McGregor is every bit as confident as he comes across in public appearances. He’s just less boisterous. But that unwavering self-belief is still there. Whether or not his reading of The Secret helps or not—and I am with you in thinking it is a bunch of crap, because I have visualized myself having a six-pack of abs and a Ferrari and we all know that isn’t happening—this is a man confident beyond belief.
What I don’t know is this: Can confidence alone win a fight against one of the best fighters in the world? McGregor is incredibly skilled, but when the chips are laid out on the table, I don’t think his confidence and bravado will phase Aldo one bit. What about you?
Jonathan: I think Conor’s complete dismissal of the champion has already gotten into Aldo’s head. Aldo is used to getting a certain amount of respect from his foes. If you read Shaun Al-Shatti’s great oral history of Aldo’s featherweight title reign, you’ll see a collection of challengers who were in awe of the champion’s skill and brutal standup attack.
Fighters pay that deference for good reason—as one of the most accomplished fighters in the sport’s short history, Aldo deserves it. He strikes fear in opponent’s hearts because he’s proven, over and over again, that few are better at not just winning fights, but doing long-lasting physical harm.
If McGregor is aware of the exteme danger he’s in, he’s shown nary a sign of it. Although the comparison rankles me, McGregor’s bravado reminds me a lot of early Cassius Clay.
When the man who would become Muhammad Ali was a young challenger, he pushed champion Sonny Liston’s buttons with his brash, strange and confrontational behavior. Taunting the fearsome Liston was unthinkable. Clay’s refusal to show the slightest fear confused the champion and the public. When he eventually backed up his motor mouth with equally fast hands, a legend was born.
I think the same thing is going to play out on Saturday. Conor McGregor is right. He’s no mere man. He’s a combat sports god. He believes it.
At UFC 194, he’ll make adherents of us all.
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