From the moment he hit the UFC scene, Conor McGregor has been on a mission to draw attention and elevate his status at the highest level of mixed martial arts.
The outspoken Irishman has been a force of nature as he’s used interviews and multiple platforms across social media to tout his talents and take shots at the upper echelon of the featherweight ranks.
The 25-year-old has traded barbs with a multitude of fighters from across the UFC roster, but has consistently taken aim at those who currently reside at the elite level of the 145-pound ranks.
The Dublin native used a recent appearance on UFC Tonight to announce his next bout will come against Cole Miller at Fight Night 46 on July 19. He also used his screen time to continue making waves, as he rattled off a list of top talent he would supposedly steamroll inside the Octagon, and long-reigning featherweight king Jose Aldo was one of the fighters mentioned.
With only two victories under the UFC banner, McGregor is nowhere near the Brazilian phenom in the rankings, but the John Kavanagh-trained fighter has never been one to let a thing like details get in the way.
McGregor’s primary focus has been to corral attention, and it appears the brash featherweight has finally caught the attention of the man at the top of the food chain. MMA Fighting caught up to Aldo this week to get his response to McGregor’s comments, and the pound-for-pound great suggested the brash newcomer should do more fighting and less talking.
That’s normal. Some fighters like to promote themselves by talking, and he’s just another one. I’m open to new challenges and I really hope he gets where he’s saying he will, so we can fight and see for sure everything he says. For now, he’s only a talker.”
“I never watched this guy fight, man. He only fought once and thinks he’s the king. I’m waiting to see him fight again.
The 27-year-old Brazilian has certainly proven his position as the best featherweight on the planet, as he’s dominated the 145-pound ranks for the past five years. “Junior” defeated Mike Brown to claim the WEC featherweight title back in 2009 and carried his championship into the Octagon when the UFC absorbed the WEC roster in 2011. He is currently the only man to hold the 145-pound title under the UFC banner, and he’s notched six successful title defenses over that time.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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