Accounting for the rumours regarding Conor McGregor's next fight, if you were Jose Aldo or Frankie Edgar, you'd have to be angry right now.
According to various reports last week, McGregor's next fight will be a rematch - but not against Jose Aldo. Instead, he is likely to once again face Nate Diaz, this time at UFC 200 on July 9th. Given the complete lack of relevance this fight has in terms of titles or divisional rankings, if it happens, McGregor vs Diaz 2 is all about the money.
If we accept that the Dubliner's next fight is going to be against Diaz, it would be September at the earliest before he defends his featherweight crown for the first time - that's if he is not forced to vacate the belt in the meantime.
If McGregor required some motivation to hand Aldo a rematch, the Brazilian has presented it. Speaking to Esporte Espetacular, Aldo related his view that going forward McGregor looks good, but on the backfoot, it's a different matter.
He’s a lion when he’s attacking, but a kitten when he’s getting beat up. Everybody saw in his eyes that he’s just a pussy that quits when he’s getting beat up. That’s what we saw.
Aldo described McGregor's loss to Diaz as embarrassing and informed that he should return to 145 with a demeanour more subdued than usual.
You will come back (to the featherweight division) with your tail between your legs after what happened, after that embarrassment. You will come back. My hand almost caught you, but when it does for good, you will sleep.
Of course, Aldo lasted just 13 seconds against McGregor back in December. But, previous to that, he had been UFC featherweight champion for over six years - a record surely deserving of a rematch.
I’m waiting for the rematch. It’s the right thing to do in my opinion because there was no fight, and everybody wants to see a fight. Everybody wants to see me beating him up, and that’s what I’m going to do. I will run through him, that’s a fact. I don’t see other scenario in my head besides going there and winning, and getting my belt back.
Translation via MMAFighting.com
Picture credit: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
