Although with his win at UFC 200, Jose Aldo has been guaranteed the first shot at Conor McGregor when he returns to the 145-pound division to defend his title, which he won from Aldo with a shocking 13-second knockout, it’s starting to look like we might have a problem.
McGregor noted during Friday’s UFC 202 media call to promote his 170-pound rematch against Nate Diaz that he was only really interested in a fresh fight in the Featherweight division, one in particular against the man Aldo defeated to secure the title shot, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.
“That was why I was there,” McGregor said. “I wanted to see if this mother f*cker comes through this and can do what he’s saying, well then it’s on. But Aldo ended up taking that belt again.”
As far as a rematch against Aldo, “The Notorious” one doesn’t exactly sound thrilled about another go-around with the legendary Brazilian.
“I was scheduled to fight Aldo many times,” McGregor said. “We had like a two-year media run, the whole thing. I spent so much time with that man and he pulled out. Then we finally got into it and it took me one shot to the crown to shut his lights out. So I don’t know what he’s thinking. Right now, I’m prepared for a war and that’s that.”
McGregor would go on to reiterate the fact that he was anticipating a bout against Edgar, particularly because his coach, Mark Henry, had called him out a few times.
“To see Aldo come back and win that fight against Frankie, I was happy for Aldo,” McGregor said. “When you see a longtime champion get knocked out like that, the way I knocked him out, I said it then: I felt sorry for him a little bit. On top of that, Frankie’s team, they were all talking sh*t. That fat coach ( that holds mitts, he was talking a lot. He’s still talking sh*t.”
While there was a decent amount of discussion about a return to 145-pounds, McGregor did make it clear that even with a win over Diaz at UFC 202, he and the Stockton native are probably going to eventually have a third fight.
“One-hundred percent,” McGregor said of a Diaz trilogy. “Of course. Maybe not straight away. But most certainly this will be a trilogy fight. Me and the boy have something and it ain’t finished yet.”
As far as McGregor is concerned, in terms of what is next for him after next Saturday’s showdown with Diaz, is anybody’s guess.
“I haven’t really spoken to anyone about what’s next,” McGregor said. “Who knows what’s next? Right now, we’re 15 days away from a war and I’m ready for a war. So that’s all I’m thinking of right now. Let’s have this war.”
UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 takes place on Saturday, August 20, 2016 from the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Join us here at MMANews.com on 8/20 for live coverage of the UFC 202.
H/T to MMAFighting.com for transcribing the above Conor McGregor quotes from the UFC 202 media call.