Tag: UFC 189

Conor McGregor Says He’s Aiming for Jose Aldo’s Chin at UFC 189, Not His Rib

 
So much has been said about Jose Aldo’s looming rib injury leading up to his featherweight title defense opposite Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on July 11.
How serious is the injury? Should his team have made it public?
Will he fight? If so, at what…

 

So much has been said about Jose Aldo‘s looming rib injury leading up to his featherweight title defense opposite Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on July 11.

How serious is the injury? Should his team have made it public?

Will he fight? If so, at what capacity?

At the end of the day, it is rare that a fighter is completely healthy leading up to a fight. Most disclose their physical ailments after the fact, but they exist nonetheless.

Heck, there is a strong possibility that McGregor himself is entering the biggest fight of his career with some sort of training-camp damage.

The issue at hand is whether or not The Notorious will target Aldo’s injury come fight night, which is something that many people would disagree with doing since it could very well throw off McGregor‘s overall game plan.

But considering the magnitude of this fight and the royalties that will follow should he dethrone a champion who hasn’t lost since 2005, how can the Irish sensation not focus on his biggest advantage?

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, McGregor discussed his upcoming bout at UFC 189 and a potential switch of opponents.

“I’m going to go for the chin; I want to knock him out,” McGregor said. “He doesn’t need to worry about his ribs, and I’m not going to go out and purposely target an area. If he shows up and fights, which he should do, we’ll fight as scheduled. I’m not going to start diving at things. I’m just going to fight my fight. It’s the chin I am hunting.”

If Aldo can not compete at UFC 189, then it will be Chad Mendes who will step in and fight McGregor for the interim belt.

With a completely different fight style, exclusively his wrestling skills, some may think that Mendes is actually a tougher matchup for the Irishman.

“I’m just preparing to get better,” said McGregor. “That’s it. I show up at the gym looking to become a better martial artist. I’ll whip both of them on the same night if need be. So whoever shows up across the octagon will get beat.”

McGregor went on to add that Aldo must fight in his current shape considering the injury occurred due to specific training tendencies, which includes the Brazilian bringing in fighters to mimic his opponent’s movement.

While The Notorious stated that the UFC had presented an option for him to fight at 155 pounds instead of featherweight, his mind is set on either Aldo or Mendes.

“I’ll be there July 10 at 145 pounds, and on July 11, I will have a gold belt wrapped around my waist,” said McGregor. “So everything else means nothing to me.”

Stick with B/R as the countdown to UFC 189 wages on.

 

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Frankie Edgar ‘Disappointed’ He’s Not the Reserve Guy for UFC 189

The UFC featherweight division is the most talent-rich weight class in the sport today.
With numerous perennial contenders residing atop the division, the 145-pound title picture often resembles a thick fog.
But with champion Jose Aldo set to defend hi…

The UFC featherweight division is the most talent-rich weight class in the sport today.

With numerous perennial contenders residing atop the division, the 145-pound title picture often resembles a thick fog.

But with champion Jose Aldo set to defend his title opposite rising superstar Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on July 11, the division is on standby.

News broke earlier this week that the pound-for-pound king injured his rib during a sparring session, which in turn flooded the mainstream media and prompted promotional nightmares.

In the event that Aldo’s questionable health prevents him from fighting in about three weeks, the UFC has officially assigned No. 1-ranked Chad Mendes to serve as the main event’s “contingency plan.”

This came after other UFC fighters such as Nate Diaz, Urijah Faber and Irish newcomer Joseph Duffy, who is the last fighter to defeat McGregor, extended their willingness to fill in.

But the most recognizable name to surface after Aldo’s training camp mishap was none other than Frankie Edgar, who immediately took to Twitter to post the following:

Unfortunately, the former UFC lightweight champion and featherweight top contender did not get the nod as the backup guy.

Instead, Mendes will be cutting weight and implementing an accelerated training camp leading up to UFC 189, which caught some people off guard considering the Team Alpha Male standout just lost to Aldo back in October at UFC 179.

Needless to say, Edgar was not pleased with the outcome. As an owner of a four-fight win streak, including victories over Cub Swanson and Faber, The Answer thought he’d be just that for a somewhat complex situation.

The 33-year-old veteran, whom many people believe won his fight opposite Aldo back at UFC 156 in February 2013, once again took to Twitter to express his disappointment:

While Edgar seems like the most obvious choice for such a role come July, the UFC desperately needed someone who can not only test McGregor’s in-cage abilities but provide enough bad blood to maintain international interest.

Edgar just isn’t the type of fighter to offer that in such a spot, while McGregor and Mendes already share a dislike for each other.

That’s why the UFC ultimately chose Mendes over Edgar because the sex appeal of such a matchup at least resides in the same zip code as Aldo vs. McGregor.

But Edgar is not going to accept that reason. As someone who has broken his back for the promotion for more than eight years, he feels entitled to such an opportunity.

And why shouldn’t he? Having only lost to Aldo and Benson Henderson in three close-knit title fights since 2008, he’s been one of the most productive and consistent fighters around.

Not to mention he is a quintessential company man above all else.

It’s a harsh reality but one that Edgar must live in order to move forward and remain a top contender option heading into 2016.

 

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Conor McGregor’s Head Coach Says Notorious Doesn’t Care Who He Fights at UFC 189

Conor McGregor has become arguably the biggest star in mixed martial arts today, let alone the ultra-competitive UFC featherweight division.
So when an official UFC report surfaced yesterday confirming that current champion Jose Aldo’s rib was not brok…

Conor McGregor has become arguably the biggest star in mixed martial arts today, let alone the ultra-competitive UFC featherweight division.

So when an official UFC report surfaced yesterday confirming that current champion Jose Aldo‘s rib was not broken and that perennial contender Chad Mendes was the “contingency plan” for UFC 189, the MMA universe took a big sigh of relief.

In other words, the promotion that has incomparably bankrolled one of the most anticipated title fights of all time had cemented McGregor‘s fate for July 11.

He will fight, whether against Aldo or Mendes, and it will be for a UFC championship belt, whether the real one or an interim one.

Now while such a mix-up in opponents for a high-profile bout would have some top contenders holding out for definitive answers, McGregor has remained focused and unscathed, posting this via Twitter nearly one day before the UFC’s statement:

To further confirm that the Irish sensation is prepared to make divisional headway during the UFC’s biggest promotional weekend of the year, McGregor‘s head coach John Kavanagh recently posted a blog on Ireland’s sports website The 42:

At [Straight Blast Gym] we’ve become renowned for doing things a little differently in terms of some of the phrases we use, and one of those is ‘There is no opponent’. We never tailor our preparations based on opponents and this is sort of like the most extreme version of that you can think of. 

For most people, switching between two different types of opponent like that would be an absolute nightmare. But it would be hypocritical of us to complain about that and allow it to have an impact, so we’re staying true to our regular philosophy when it comes to opponents. And I believe Conor will end up fighting both of these guys at some point anyway, so what difference does it make?

Needless to say, Kavanagh feels confident that his star pupil can adapt and overcome inside of the cage on July 11, despite his opponent. He went on to mention McGregor‘s reaction to the potential change in adversary:

It was UFC president Dana White who called me and asked how we felt about Chad Mendes stepping in to fight Conor for the belt. Conor was sleeping at the time so I walked into his room and told him it could be Mendes instead. He opened one eye, said ‘They’re all the same’ and then went back to sleep. That’s as far as any negotiation went. 

If Aldo was going to be out, the options were to postpone the fight until later in the year or bring in a different opponent. Both were discussed, but Conor is driven by competition. The UFC mentioned a September date but I knew realistically that if Aldo’s rib injury was bad, September wouldn’t be realistic. At best it would be October.

That would leave Conor on the sidelines for nine months. Some fighters are satisfied to sit out for a year when they’ve got a title shot ahead, but that’s not something we wanted to do. I believe Conor is ready for whoever the UFC put in there and we have to be able to back that up by accepting all challengers.

Now whether The Notorious fights Aldo at 75 percent or Mendes on short notice, he needs to understand how dangerous of a spot he’s in.

With so much invested in becoming champion and transforming himself into the biggest star this sport has seen since Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre and Chuck Liddell, the 26-year-old must proceed with extreme caution.

In any case, McGregor‘s reaction to this entire situation truly represents the way he conducts himself inside of the Octagon.

With an unflappable self-confidence that feeds his unorthodox pallet of movement and precision, maybe it really doesn’t matter who he fights on July 11.

Maybe his skill set and budding athleticism are the perfect combination to defeat any featherweight who the UFC lines up in front of him.

We’ll find out one way or another at UFC 189.

 

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Conor McGregor Is No Longer Fighting the Real Jose Aldo—And That’s a Shame

All looked lost earlier this week when it appeared UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo would be forced to withdraw from his highly anticipated bout with the “Notorious” Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on July 11 in Las Vegas.
Curses were…

All looked lost earlier this week when it appeared UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo would be forced to withdraw from his highly anticipated bout with the “Notorious” Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on July 11 in Las Vegas.

Curses were uttered at the futility of it all, and many tears were shed—particularly by Irish fans who were afraid they had purchased expensive plane tickets for naught. 

After months of anticipation, a worldwide media tour and the most expensive television commercial in UFC history, losing what looked like it might well be a fight for the ages would have been a crushing blow. UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier spoke for us all on Twitter with a plaintive “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!”  

Aldo was said to be just as distraught as the rest of us.

“He cried. He wants this fight bad, everybody invested a lot in this,” his coach Andre Pederneiras told Combate (translation by MMAFighting.com). “I was with him the whole afternoon. He’s heartbroken.”

On Wednesday, however, the MMA community collectively issued a huge sigh of relief when the UFC, after several cryptic messages, finally issued a statement. Aldo’s injured ribs, it turned out, were bruised but not broken. The fight, assuming Aldo gets the Nevada Athletic Commission to rubber-stamp his own doctor’s findings, is back on. 

That’s a reason to celebrate. 

And, yet, despite the many reasons to cheer, I can’t help but think the fight we all wanted disappeared at the first mention of a potential training-camp injury. Suddenly, a bout that pitted the brash newcomer against the unique style of the most dominant featherweight in MMA history is gone.

Left in its place is something that looks similar at first glance—but is actually quite different.

What was once a win-win scenario—either the crowning of a charismatic new star or an affirmation of one of the sport’s long-standing elites—has been cheated of its gravity by an overzealous training partner. Now, should McGregor win, he’s just the guy who beat an injured champion. It’s an accomplishment that, consciously or not, every fan will have to downgrade. 

Would McGregor have won without the injury? Is he really the best featherweight in the world? 

Those questions would help a rematch immensely but nonetheless make UFC 189 seem like something less than the perfect storm. Sure, McGregor would be the proud owner of a UFC title. But it would be tarnished gold—a win only the hardest of hardcore McGregor fans could truly celebrate.

McGregor is a true fighter. He believes he’s better than Aldo. He wants to make his case in the most definitive way possible. He wants to beat Aldo at his very best. Unfortunately, there is no best-case scenario. Not anymore. There is only the lesser of two evils—a win against an obviously diminished foe. 

That’s no fit way to begin the McGregor Era. 

Worse still would be a McGregor loss. Right now the UFC has a hot property on its hands, He would have remained a potential box-office star win or lose against Aldo—at least against a healthy Aldo. But, after all his posturing and crude trash talk, can McGregor afford to lose to an Aldo the world knows isn’t at the peak of his powers? 

McGregor has a gift for fight promotion. But, at the heart of his trash talk is performance. He gets away with it because he goes out to the cage and makes it true. That’s the difference between boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Adrien Broner. One has a shelf life—the other is immortal. 

This fight was supposed to be special. It was a chance for one of the smaller weight classes, for the first time, to step into the limelight and prove it can draw big money for the UFC. The stars seemingly had aligned. McGregor is the breath of fresh air the promotion has prayed for. Aldo is the perfect foil, the long-standing champion with the big reputation.

This was going to be the Fight of the Year—the rare bout that’s a combination of sport and spectacle. Now? It may still be an excellent fight. The two may go into the Octagon and have the amazing stylistic matchup we all crave—a clash between Aldo’s straight-ahead muay thai and McGregor’s slick karate and intricate footwork.

But something will be missing. Doubt will linger. We’ll wonder what might have been had the two both been at full strength.

Now, instead of being the definitive clash between two icons, it’s just another fight for a belt. And that’s a real shame. 

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UPDATE: Jose Aldo’s Rib *Not* Broken, McGregor Fight Still On For UFC 189


(And he couldn’t be more thrilled, Joe!)

Today is a good day, Nation. The best, even.

After initial reports Tuesday claimed that Jose Aldo had fractured a rib in training and would most likely be removed from “the most anticipated featherweight fight of all time” at UFC 189, the UFC released a statement earlier today rebuffing those claims and offering a beacon of hope in the dreary, dystopic landscape that MMA fans have long grown accustomed to (no hyperbole).

That statement is after the jump.

The post UPDATE: Jose Aldo’s Rib *Not* Broken, McGregor Fight Still On For UFC 189 appeared first on Cagepotato.


(And he couldn’t be more thrilled, Joe!)

Today is a good day, Nation. The best, even.

After initial reports Tuesday claimed that Jose Aldo had fractured a rib in training and would most likely be removed from “the most anticipated featherweight fight of all time” at UFC 189, the UFC released a statement earlier today rebuffing those claims and offering a beacon of hope in the dreary, dystopic landscape that MMA fans have long grown accustomed to (no hyperbole).

In light of recent reports regarding the status of UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, UFC has received official medical confirmation from several doctors that Aldo did not suffer a broken rib. Following a review of the scans, it has been determined that the champion suffered a bone bruise to his rib and cartilage injury during training.

With this news, Aldo has expressed that he has every intention of facing Conor McGregor at UFC 189.

Or as the “Notorious” one put it…

In either case, I’m just glad this development is behind us and will in no way affect our opinion of McGregor vs. Aldo in hindsight. Nope, there’s no way this injury will be discussed ad nauseum should the fight underwhelm, or draw constant questions from naysayers regarding the legitimacy of a potential McGregor win. It’s smooth sailing from here on out, everyone!

FWIW:

While Aldo has indicated that he will compete in Las Vegas on July 11, UFC has confirmed a contingency plan. No.1 featherweight contender Chad Mendes will face McGregor for the interim UFC featherweight championship in the event Aldo cannot compete.

So yeah, even if Aldo does go down, the UFC secured themselves a hell of a backup plan. Take to the streets and celebrate, everyone! It’s gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day!!!

The post UPDATE: Jose Aldo’s Rib *Not* Broken, McGregor Fight Still On For UFC 189 appeared first on Cagepotato.

Nate Diaz Claims He’s Fighting Conor McGregor at UFC 189

Nate Diaz does what Nate Diaz wants to do, and apparently what one half of Stockton’s finest brotherly duo wants to do right now is step in to face Conor McGregor at UFC 189. Then again, maybe he really doesn’t, but that won’t stop him from keeping an …

Nate Diaz does what Nate Diaz wants to do, and apparently what one half of Stockton’s finest brotherly duo wants to do right now is step in to face Conor McGregor at UFC 189. Then again, maybe he really doesn’t, but that won’t stop him from keeping an already fire Twitter game ablaze.

After news that a broken rib suffered by featherweight king Jose Aldo was threatening to force the Brazilian phenom out of his highly anticipated title bout with Conor McGregor on July 11th, the former lightweight title challenger fired up his social media machine to throw in his bid to swoop in and save the day by facing the Irish upstart. In classic Diaz fashion the message (h/t Middle Easy) posted was poignant with strong hashtag usage and emojis to drive home the point he was trying to make.

While the tweet was later deleted it was out long enough to send a buzz through the MMA community. (Warning: The language in the tweet is NSFW.) 

Although The Ultimate Fighter Season Five winner was quick to jump on the issue hovering above the main event at UFC 189, Diaz hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon since his lackluster showing against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 13 back in December. The Team Cesar Gracie representative missed the contracted weight limit heading into the tilt, then offered little resistance for RDA en route to the future champion’s run to a lopsided unanimous decision victory.

The 30-year-old Californian was briefly linked to a bout with welterweight scrapper Matt Brown on UFC 189, but that bout never materialized. Diaz is still without an official opponent for his next showing, but until that news surfaces, his social media skills will continue to keep his profile elevated in the MMA world. 

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

 

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