Conor McGregor Reacts To Buzzing UFC Fortaleza

It wasn’t the most high-profile card by any means, but tonight’s (Sat., Feb. 2, 2019) UFC on ESPN+ 2 from Fortaleza, Brazil, has the MMA world justifiably buzzing.

The main card featured a slew of amazing finishes from a number of both rising and well-known Brazilian fighters. There was Johnny Walker’s spinning backfist TKO, Charles Oliveira’s record submission, and Demian Maia’s comeback win.

But the action truly kicked into overdrive when Jose Aldo pulled off a feel-good TKO win over touted contender Renato Moicano (watch the highlights here). The second-round barrage of body work put Aldo ahead of Max Holloway for the most finishes in UFC featherweight history. In the main event, Marlon Moraes submitted tough out Raphael Assuncao with a picturesque guillotine (highlights here).

The fight game is reveling in such an event on Brazilian soil, and understandably so. It was so good that MMA’s biggest star just offered his thoughts on the amazing event online:

What an amazing atmosphere at UFC Brazil tonight.
I would LOVE to compete there for all the passionate Brazilian fans at some stage of my career.
I was so close to securing a bout in Rio last year. It was essentially a done deal.
Maybe next time.
Ui Vai Morrer!!!! I’m still here.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) February 3, 2019

McGregor has always had a connection to Brazil. He infamously espoused its name during his multiple-city UFC 189 World Tour with Aldo in 2015. The two eventually fought at UFC 194. There, McGregor won his first official UFC title by knocking out Aldo in 13 seconds.

He’s been extremely complimentary of Aldo ever since, however. And he’s had a lot to be complimentary of due to Aldo’s recent finishes of dangerous fighters like Moicano and Jeremy Stephens. He didn’t mention Aldo by name this time around though, for whatever’s that’s worth.

McGregor is looking to fight in Brazil, and Aldo would love to run that one back. Just don’t count on it happening. Or could it?