journey
UFC superstar Conor McGregor’s tumultuous relationship with Jose Aldo started with wild world tour before 13-second knockout paved the way for deep respect and friendship
UFC superstar Conor McGregor has made many enemies during his time in fighting but only one of them has expressed support for him post-fight.
The charismatic Irishman and Jose Aldo shared an epic rivalry that came to a head at UFC 196 in December 2015 and since then they have formed something of a friendship.
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‘Scarface’ was the face of the featherweight division for years. Firstly with the WEC and then with the UFC after they were bought out.
The Brazilian knockout artist holds a litany of big wins over the likes of Urijah Faber, Cub Swanson, Kenny Florian, Korean Zombie, Frankie Edgar, and Chad Mendes – the list could go on.
In 2013, McGregor burst on the scene after winning two belts in Cage Warriors and being signed to the UFC with the mission of dethroning the long-time 145lb king.
‘Notorious’ ran through the likes of Max Holloway, Dennis Siver, and Dustin Poirier while becoming one of the biggest stars the sport has ever seen and earning himself a shot at UFC gold by 2015.
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Bereft of challengers by this point, Aldo would’ve been glad to see McGregor come along but his happiness soon turned to a nightmare when the UFC decided to take the two men on a world tour ahead of their ill-fated fight at UFC 189.
“I own Rio de Janeiro,” McGregor declared during his first press conference with Aldo in Brazil before both men headed to Ireland to square off in front of the challenger’s countrymen.
Chaos ensued after the Brazilian referred to himself as the ‘King of Dublin’ in front of a raucous crowd and McGregor responded by insisting he is the King of Dublin before putting his feet on the desk.
Aldo then mimicked his rival and before he knew it ‘Mystic Mac’ had snatched the UFC title his opponent had brought with him and placed proudly in front of him.
McGregor victoriously held the belt aloft for several seconds as almost everyone in attendance cheered him on. Aldo tried and failed to immediately get his belt back as Dana White intervened to stop things from getting any more out of hand.
The fight ultimately fell through when Aldo suffered a rib injury, forcing McGregor to take an interim title bout against top contender Chad Mendes.
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After surviving some difficult early moments, the MMA superstar knocked out Mendes in the second round to set up a unification bout with Aldo which took place later that year at UFC 194.
When fight night came, Aldo looked nervous, and this was pointed out by UFC commentator Joe Rogan moments before he was brutally knocked out by the first punch McGregor landed.
Almost immediately after the fight had finished, McGregor began to show his rival respect after months of mental warfare as he seemingly promised Aldo a rematch while they waited for the official result to be read out.
After that McGregor never fought at featherweight again and while he was off chasing big fights with Nate Diaz and Eddie Alvarez, an interim belt was created.
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Of course, Aldo was first in line for a crack at it and he beat Frankie Edgar to become a champion once again, something McGregor was apparently pleased to see.
”When I fought Frankie Edgar and won the title again, (McGregor and I) were staying at the same hotel, side by side. He saw me, and even sent a gift congratulating me for the belt I had just won, Aldo revealed in 2021.
"That was intimate, brother. He knows that, he sent it to my room. I see no problem with that. It was a way of trying to show love for me and my family. It was really intimate. It was nice, it was nice. I don’t know what his intentions were, right? But it was nice.”
Since their fight, the 34-year-old has turned into a fan of Aldo and is enjoying watching his former opponent continuing his legacy at bantamweight, where he has picked up three straight wins.
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“Good to see Aldo had a good win the other week; very happy to see that,” McGregor said after Aldo beat Pedro Munhoz at UFC 265 in August 2021.
“Oh, man, I’ll tell you what – What a warrior! What a warrior that man is! It was an honour to share the octagon. I would love him to do it again, you know. He deserved more, I thought. But, you know, a lot of respect for Jose Aldo.”
McGregor is currently healing up after fracturing his tibia and fibula at UFC 264 in July 2021. It’s expected he will return to action later this year or in the first quarter of 2021 and when he does, a third title is the aim.
Not many people think McGregor will be able to return to his best form after such a horrendous injury but the man he quickly dispatched in 2015 won’t put it past him.
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“I think he can [get back to fighting at a high level]. I never doubt the champions, the mind and willpower of the champions,” Aldo said in the aftermath of UFC 264.
“He has dominated before and was the lightweight and featherweight champion. It’s all up to him. If he wants to come back at a high level, he can do it.”
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“If he wants to come back again, he will work hard, abdicate from certain things to get there, dedicate himself and go back to the winning path.”
Although they may never be best friends, it’s great to see that after sharing such an intense rivalry and historic fight that two of the biggest stars in MMA have become each other’s biggest cheerleaders as they set about achieving new goals.
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