Andre Pederneiras: Jose Aldo Will Turn Conor McGregor Into A Wrestler
As UFC 189 quickly approaches (July 11, 2015), the hype and promotion has hit an all-time high, as well as the tension between featherweight king Jose Aldo and Irish sensation the “Notorious” Conor McGregor, who are set to faceoff in the main event in one of the most-anticipated bouts of the year.
Whether it be drama regarding drug tests, or Aldo welcoming a pre-fight brawl, the war of words between the two has fans on the edge of their seats.
However, it was actually Aldo’s coach, Andre Pederneiras, who recently announced that he will be retiring soon, that took the latest shot at McGregor. The “Notorious” one has been highly criticized for not having faced a top level wrestler on his quest to the title, despite displaying his devastating striking along the way.
Recently speaking with MMAFighting, Pederneiras said that where McGregor believes he is strong (striking), Aldo will make him look weak. He added that the Irish star will not be able to grapple with the champion, and that Aldo will turn McGregor into a wrestler:
“In my mind, Conor will be the one to become a wrestler,” Pederneiras said during a press conference in Rio de Janeiro. “I believe McGregor will become a wrestler in the middle of the fight. Where he believes he’s good at, in the middle of the fight he will realize he’s not that good. He will try to grapple with Aldo. He doesn’t have an idea who he’s going to fight. He will go for takedowns during the fight.”
Talk about a confident coach!
McGregor has made it clear that he is taking his preparation seriously, moving his entire camp from Ireland to Las Vegas, where the fight will be held. However, Pederneiras says he pays no attention to this, as the only thing that matters is how a fighter performs under pressure. He added that once under pressure, the “Notorious” one will be the same version of himself he has always been, a version Pederneiras feels very confident Aldo will beat:
“I don’t think Conor has done anything different than he has ever done,” he said. “He’s not in Ireland, he’s in Las Vegas, and maybe he got a wizard to change his game. We see how the fighter reacts when he’s under pressure, what he does. That’s something we look at a lot. When he’s under pressure, he will do exactly what he always does.”
Do you agree with Pederneiras? Can McGregor out-strike one of the sport’s most lethal and dangerous strikers?
Photo Credit: Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports
