Entering UFC Fight Night 59, there was little question regarding what was next for Irish striker Conor McGregor. Should he beat Dennis Siver, he was destined to face featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the biggest fight in the division’s history.
Well, he did beat Siver, and the UFC is making good on its word regarding a McGregor title shot. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported on Twitter that UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta was targeting Aldo vs. McGregor for May. The sentiment was then echoed by UFC President Dana White at the Fight Night 59 post-fight press conference:
Spoke to Lorenzo Fertitta after the fight. Said he needs to see if Conor is healthy, of course, but envisions title fight in Vegas in May.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) January 19, 2015
According to the preliminary 2015 schedule released by the UFC in November, the promotion is planning a pay-per-view for May 23, making it the most likely destination for the title fight. While there was a great deal of discussion regarding the title fight going down in Ireland’s Croke Park soccer arena, White came just shy of completely no-selling the idea, citing concerns regarding the high overhead and likely diminished pay-per-view buyrates.
McGregor‘s rise from interesting prospect to one of MMA‘s biggest stars has been absurdly quick. McGregor debuted in the UFC less than two years ago, defeating Marcus Brimage via TKO, and spent nearly a year out of the cage due to an ACL tear during his second bout opposite Max Holloway. He would return in July with a headlining bout against Diego Brandao in just his third UFC fight.
A bout with McGregor will almost certainly be the most lucrative of Aldo’s career. While the Brazilian has built up a resume worthy of “Greatest of All Time” discussion, he has failed to gel with fans outside his home country, with the majority of his pay-per-view buyrates hovering around the 200,000 mark. McGregor will add some much-needed visibility to a bout involving Aldo.
So MMA fans! Who do you think will take this one?
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