Conor McGregor will fight Jose Aldo in the near future, and when the two take to the Octagon, former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida knows who will win.
Speaking with MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz, Machida talked about a hypothetical showdown between the trash-talking Irishman and the UFC featherweight champ, claiming that the current king would reign supreme once more.
“If you’re going to compare him (McGregor) to Jose Aldo, Aldo is technically better,” Machida told MMAFighting.com. “(McGregor) is a tough fighter, he’s coming out strong, but you can’t say he beats Aldo. Aldo is too dominant.”
Aldo has been dominant, indeed.
The current featherweight title-holder hasn’t lost since November of 2005, rattling off 18 straight victories since that setback. He’s 25-1 overall, and he’s a perfect 10-0 in title fights under the WEC and UFC banners.
In those fights, he has four finishes, and the six decisions, with the exceptions of his most recent scrap with Chad Mendes at UFC 179 and his UFC 156 tilt against Frankie Edgar, were clear-cut victories.
Until his rematch with Mendes, Aldo had never faced serious adversity inside the Octagon. His defensive wrestling is incredible, and his striking is even better. He can dart in and out, chopping away and smashing opponents, leaving them battered, bruised and beaten.
McGregor, however, cannot be ignored.
Equal parts self-promotion and tangible talent, McGregor is 4-0 in the UFC since making his promotional debut in April 2013, earning three of those victories via first-round knockout.
He lands 4.60 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.46, and his grappling, while once thought to be an exploitable hole in his game, has held up well inside the Octagon.
Yet, in a fight against Aldo, McGregor would find himself biting off a bit more than a Marcus Brimage or a Dustin Poirier. Aldo, like light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, stands out even among his best peers, and he’s proven himself a worthy champ time and time again.
McGregor will face Dennis Siver Jan. 18 in Boston, and if he wins that fight, all signs are pointing toward a title fight.
Only then will we truly settle this debate, but for now, I’m with Machida. Aldo is just too much for any featherweight on the planet at this time.
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