There is something wonderful about being a fight fan during the times when a new voice, such as Conor McGregor‘s, comes out, loud and unafraid, predicting greatness at the expense of all others.
That is not to say that trash talk is the be-all and end-all, because it’s not. But when a fighter comes out, loud and proud, then like it or not, he’s attracting attention to the sport, and with the attention comes greater pay-per-view numbers and money.
In short, it’s good for business, and it’s exciting, all the way around.
Obviously, trash talk is nothing new to the combative sports. But great trash talk, coming from a fighter who honestly seems to believe every word he is saying, is a rare thing and worth its weight in gold.
In Conor McGregor, fight fans have a man who can both polarize the masses as well as unite fans of all nationalities who appreciate his unique voice, even if what he is saying has been said before.
As the saying goes, sometimes the singer outdistances the song.
But now, just as we have gotten to know McGregor, he looks poised to be thrown to the lion of the division, Jose Aldo. Obviously, this is just fine by McGregor, who stylizes himself as a lion-slayer, but is he really ready?
It’s been amazing to see how McGregor has emboldened his fans to the point that they declare he can do almost anything, even though he has yet to prove it against the best. Many brazenly declare that he is the next champion and that he will dispose of Aldo with ease, and they base it all on his last four victories in the UFC.
McGregor has looked truly excellent in his last four outings, but to be honest, the combined record of his past four opponents weighs in at 52-20, with the best of the bunch being the underappreciated Dustin Poirier.
When looking at the last four opponents of Aldo, their combined records add up to 61-13, against some very tough opposition. Included in that list is Frankie Edgar, a former lightweight champion who, for my money, could mop the floor with McGregor at this point in his young career.
Simply put, earning decision victories over Frankie Edgar, Ricardo Lamas and Chad Mendes and a TKO victory over Chan Sung Jung is more impressive than TKO victories over Marcus Brimage, Diego Brandao and Dustin Poirier and a decision victory over Max Holloway.
And yet, there is clearly something about McGregor that separates him from anyone Aldo has ever faced. His poise and confidence aren’t based on smoke and mirrors; he’s honestly a damn good fighter who believes his God-given gifts and his skill are simply too much for anyone in his division to cope with.
This level of confidence isn’t based on some shopworn song and shuffle, and it’s far from faking it until you make it; it comes from a desire to see his dreams realized, and that comes from an honest belief in himself.
Unlike religion, which is said to require a faith in the unseen, this level of belief in oneself usually stems from the exact opposite: a feeling of empowerment based on the seen and the known.
Should he get past Dennis Siver, he’ll be bringing all of this to the cage and throwing it right in Aldo’s face. He believes that once he does, Aldo will eventually fold under the pressure, if he is not outright knocked unconscious.
It’s a daring plan that has fight fans salivating in anticipation, no matter what side of the party line they fall on. There is no doubt that no one will be flying McGregor‘s flag higher and prouder than McGregor himself, even if he has to go to Brazil to face the champion in his own back yard.
That being said, McGregor is hardly the first fighter to have such a fierce faith in himself, only to be shown the hard way that there is a difference between fighting contenders and fighting a champion.
One such fighter is Prince Naseem Hamed, after whom McGregor seems to have modeled much of the style of his promotional oratory. Hamed was a knockout machine who danced his way to the ring and forward-flipped over the top rope into the spotlight, fight after fight.
Hamed was cashing in on his punching power and his gift for incendiary gab, demanding the attention of nearly all in the boxing world.
Then, he fought Marco Antonio Barrera, a fighter who looked like he was bound to walk into Hamed‘s bombs at least a time or two, and from there, he would probably be waking up to the sound of Hamed‘s victory speech to Larry Merchant.
Of course, anything but happened. Barrera attacked Hamed with a two-fisted attack balanced with a sound defense and proceeded to hand Hamed his first ever loss in humiliating fashion. In spite of all his power, hype and experience, the simple fact was that Hamed had never faced a disciplined boxer-brawler who wasn’t going to be intimidated. All the trash talk and all the popular notions that Hamed was just too powerful to stand in front of fell on deaf ears, and Barrera handed him a one-sided beating that sent his career into a downward spiral.
Of course, the fight game is littered with such instances, just as it is full of times when an upstart challenger, thought to have no business being inside the same ring as the champion, upset the odds and took the title by force.
But I honestly do not think this will be one of those times.
A lot goes into making an upset, especially one of this magnitude. Jose Aldo hasn’t lost a fight in nine years, and he is near the top of any legitimate pound-for-pound list to be had. He’s been the undisputed featherweight champion for five years, and along the way, he has defeated some of the very best names in the sport.
That means he’s a man who takes his title very seriously and isn’t walking around reading his own press clippings.
Yet, even if he didn’t have a vast experience advantage (which he clearly does), he’s still very much in his prime, and worst of all (for McGregor), he’s the faster man, by far.
Stylistically, McGregor is a compelling matchup for Aldo. Aldo has shown himself to be a far better counter-striker than he is an initiator, and McGregor has proved adept at pulling fighters into attacking and then blasting them with a counter-left, right down the pipe.
Perhaps McGregor‘s biggest strength is that he is incredibly daring, willing to utilize any technique that strikes his fancy and then drilling it until he can use it freely and with a high level of accuracy.
When added to the fact that he is a southpaw, McGregor is a tough matchup for most opponents who do not employ a strong wrestling base. Of course, Aldo is not “most opponents.”
McGregor has never had to face an opponent as fast or as skilled at striking as Aldo, whom Jack Slack calls one of the greatest MMA strikers ever.
Aldo has some basic attacks against pure strikers, but the bulk of his offense is based on his wicked leg kicks, which he can do with little to no setup. While McGregor has an excellent front kick, the bulk of his striking seems to have a strong boxing base. This could prove to be very problematic given that his legs are going to be there to kick anytime McGregor settles in for an attack.
While McGregor will enjoy a two-inch advantage in the areas of reach and height, he will still be facing a very big featherweight in Aldo, who is used to dealing with fighters who are big for the division.
Perhaps McGregor feels that Aldo has begun to slip. Since his fight with Mark Hominick, Aldo has only finished two of six fights in the UFC. This is quite a departure from the man who ended the first six fights under the WEC banner by KO or TKO.
Whatever his reasoning, McGregor is just one fight away from either a glorious ascension to championship stardom or a painful end to his current career trajectory that has seen the UFC steer him clear of wrestlers, much as they did Nick Diaz.
Personally, I can’t help but think the brass at Zuffa could have given him a few more fights to build him up and see his true potential as a power draw realized. There have been very few Irish fighters with the swagger of McGregor, and he has perhaps the best opportunities available to a fighter of his caliber to make some serious money while maximizing his own brand.
Or, perhaps it feels like it missed the boat by never giving Michael Bisping a shot at Anderson Silva and wants to make sure it doesn’t make the same mistake twice.
At the end of the day, the fight game is still a money game, and a man like McGregor clearly understands that better than most. He seems utterly content to play the game, and the UFC seems equally content to help him do so, to their mutual advantage.
But amid all the hype and hoopla that have become of the UFC career of McGregor, Aldo awaits, so far out of the corner of the eye that he has almost become an afterthought.
The same thing happened to Bernard Hopkins in 2001. Felix Trinidad was making his march up through the weight classes, and Hopkins was picked as the next victim on his hit list. Hopkins spoiled that party, giving Trinidad a thorough beating before stopping him in Round 12 and in the process used the exposure to launch his own career.
Perhaps the question shouldn’t be “Is McGregor ready for Aldo?” but “Is Aldo ready for McGregor?” The proud Irishman brings with him the brightest of spotlights and a level of attention that could change the Brazilian’s life forever, one way or the other.
Opportunity is knocking, and for a fighter as seemingly disinterested in self-promotion as Aldo, McGregor could be the very man he has been waiting his whole life for.
Lord knows McGregor isn’t waiting around for anyone.
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