Conor McGregor Vows To Knock Out Aldo, Seize Lightweight Title
Interim UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has never been afraid to predict the future.
Now just 10 days away from the biggest fight of his life, a massively hyped title unification bout with long-time 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo, the Irishman’s vision for what lies ahead is quite bold:
“I will KO Jose Aldo and I will face the winner of the lightweight belt, which takes place a week after and I will fight for that. Within the next few fights I will be a two-weight world champion,” McGregor told FOX Sports on Wednesday.
The 155-pound strap will indeed be defended soon after UFC 194, as reigning champ Rafael dos Anjos will put his title on the line against surging contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the main event of UFC on FOX 19 on December 19, 2015.
The “Notorious” one seems keen on facing the winner of that bout, but if he ends up dispatching Aldo which of course is no easy task, it’s hard to believe that the UFC brass would want McGregor to abandon the exciting and intriguing challenges at featherweight.
There’s also the possibility of a rematch. Usually, when a long-time dominant champion loses his title an immediate rematch is granted, meaning we could be in store for McGregor vs. Aldo 2 if “Scarface” crumbles.
The Irishman, however, believes that he will put the champion away in the first round, leaving no reason for a second contest:
“We’ll have to see how the contest plays out. If he can give me a war and he can earn a rematch, then we can do a rematch. I just don’t see him answering the bell for the second round. I can’t see his face on his body at the beginning of the second round. I see him KO’d inside one,” McGregor said.
“When you KO a man inside one, there’s no need for a rematch. So if he can come and he can bring a war and we can trade for five rounds or whatever, well then maybe I’ll consider a rematch. But I feel he won’t get up off the stool and answer that bell for the second round.”
UFC president Dana White has also previously said that if McGregor was to move up to lightweight, he would have to relinquish the featherweight title, assuming that he was the champion. That idea doesn’t seem to fly with the Irishman, however, as he plans to rule both divisions simultaneously:
“I’m looking to emulate what I achieved in my previous promotion and collect two belts,” McGregor said. “Two different weight divisions. Hold them consecutively. Defend them consecutively and carry on.”
At the end of the day, McGregor can’t get ahead of himself. He must capture one title first.
A man beating Jose Aldo is something that hasn’t happened in over a decade. In just over one week’s time, the “Notorious” one plans not only to do that, but to do it in style.
Can he back up all of his talk? Only time will tell.
