Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor: A Reason for Excitement

What can I write about Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo that you haven’t already heard or read before? You’ve probably read detailed breakdowns of the fight, but if you haven’t, I suggest checking out this article by Jack Slack or this article by Patrick Wyman. You’ve probably read about why this fight is so big, but if you haven’t, I suggest this piece by Mike Fagan. You’ve probably read profiles on both fighters, but if you haven’t then I suggest this piece on Jose Aldo, where past opponents speak about the night they faced him, by Shaun Al-Shatti and this piece on Conor McGregor, where it’s asked how much pressure is on him following Ronda Rousey’s loss, by Steven Marrocco. And you’ve probably read all the great articles at 411, but if you haven’t, read this piece by Dan Plunkett because he’s the only writer that I still recognize from my time as a weekly columnist.

I could come up with wacky theories (and trust me, I love doing this) on why Dana White will fix this fight to ensure that McGregor wins or why Aldo will pull out of the fight just hours before his music hits, but an actual great fight deserves a well-scribed article. Sorry that you’ve decided to read this.

I can’t claim to be a hardcore MMA/UFC fan anymore. I used to watch every event, I used to know every PPV main event off the top of my head, and I could tell you the upcoming fights. I can’t do that anymore. There have been so many events in the past couple of years that you’d have to forget everything you know about just about every other sport to remember who and when someone fought. I used to buy every PPV, even the ones that didn’t deserve my money like Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva or Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin 2 or Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman. Nowadays, I can’t justify paying $50 for Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson 2 or Demetrious Johnson vs. Kyoji Horiguchi or Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso. Sorry Demetrious, you’re so much better than everyone else in your division that I’m not shelling out money to see a sparing contest. The guys I loved watching and rooting for are either past their prime or retired. More so than all that, I just don’t have time to keep up with a new fight card littered with no-name, poorly skilled fighters every week

But Jose Aldo fights Conor McGregor this weekend.

Maybe you’ve forgotten about Jose Aldo. His highlight reel is second to only Anderson Silva. He makes great fighters look average and good fighters look like amateurs. He’s one of the few fighters who is still around from the 2010 MMA peak and still competing at a high level today. Maybe he’s lost a step in those five years. Fights, injuries, weight cuts, etc… take their toll on any fighter. Maybe he’s not finishing guys like he used to. But this is still Jose Aldo. This is still a guy who can excitedly cruise against top competition. This is a guy who is always one strike away from turning out the lights and running into the crowd as part of his celebration. This is a guy who hasn’t lost in 10 years. He has a cloud of invincibility, with just a hint of vulnerability, around him that makes him such an intriguing fighter.

Maybe you don’t appreciate Conor McGregor. His trash talk, unlike so many MMA fighters before him, doesn’t feel as forced. There’s a genuine belief behind everything he says and how he delivers it. He managed to turn a sub-170 lb division into a draw, something that hasn’t been done since the days of B.J. Penn. Maybe he’s been protected by UFC matchmaking, fighting average opponents before earning a title shot where he fought a guy coming in on a couple weeks’ notice. But that ignores the fact that he’s starched everyone in his way, which is what could fighters should to overmatched opponents. Maybe he’s only in this position due to the hype surrounding him, but that’s a credit to him for bringing out the personality behind the cold eyes of Jose Aldo.

It’s easy to forget the great moments in the build up to this fight since most of them took place earlier this year ahead of their originally scheduled fight in July. McGregor getting in Aldo’s face after dispatching of Denis Siver and Aldo just laughing. Aldo promising to, “kill this motherfucker and cut his head off.” McGregor stealing the title, eating pictures, and making crazy faces. This fight has been building since January 18 of this year. These two have waited 11 months to be locked in a cage with no one but each other and a referee, ready to take out all their pent up anger and frustration out on the body of their opponent.

Rivalries of this magnitude aren’t new and at least half of them don’t live up to the hype come fight time. When you talk a big game, fans want to see you back it up, and sometimes it causes fighters to fight not to lose instead of to win. It seems highly unlikely that this will be the case when it comes to Aldo vs. McGregor as both fighters have a skillset that the JUST BLEED MMA fans crave and desire. Even if Aldo decides to stifle McGregor with his grappling, the atmosphere alone could turn a dull affair into a passable contest.

Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor is a big time fight between two evenly matched competitors. Sure, the co-main event between Luke Rockhold vs. Chris Weidman features guys who are just as talented as Aldo and McGregor, but they aren’t doing a million buys on PPV on their own. Aldo vs. McGregor is a super fight in 2015. It’s not Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva or Jon Jones vs. Anderson Silva or a fight between two dominate champions in their respective weight classes moving up or down or meeting in the middle. Those super fights don’t exist because #gottastrikewhiletheironshot. This is a fight between two highly skilled fighters arguably at their peak with engaging personalities who have a hatred towards one another.

I can’t tell you how this fight is going to play out. It might be a technical, back-and-forth striking contest with a debated decision. Aldo might kill him and cut his head off in 30 seconds or be worn down by the body attacks of the challenger. McGregor might out-class the champion and prove there’s a new king within a couple of rounds or be overcome by all the media and pre-fight commitments because it takes a lot of energy to be a rock star.

Enjoy Aldo vs. McGregor. It’s a once in an ever fight.