CONOR McGREGOR’S TALK is bringing plenty of attention to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight division, and that’s something Jose Aldo’s camp are very pleased about.
That’s according to the UFC featherweight champion’s head coach Andre Pederneiras, who’s expecting ‘a big challenge’ from McGregor at UFC 189 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on 11 July.
McGregor’s antics during the recent UFC 189 media world tour contributed to the enormous sense of anticipation about the fight, and Pederneiras believes the Dubliner has been a breath of fresh air for the 145lbs division.
Speaking to Combate, Pederneiras said: “I joked about it, but it is happening: Conor is a leprechaun bringing a pot of money to the division.
“I wish there were more athletes like him to get some attention. Unlike many that talk a lot, Conor proved what he says. We’re treating this fight like a big challenge for Aldo.
“Maybe [McGregor] hasn’t fought the guys I think he could have fought to get there. But if you look at who Aldo fought, he fought everybody he could have fought, except for McGregor. I think it’s his turn now, and it’s going to be a great fight. After this fight, numbers will grow, especially because of Conor coming to the division.”
However, while Pederneiras welcomes McGregor’s verbal jibes, he’s adamant that they’ll ultimately backfire on the Irish star.
“An opponent talking bad things about you always motivates you to beat him up, and Conor does it perfectly,” said Pederneiras, a former UFC fighter and legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu black-belt himself.
“The more McGregor talks, the more he will get beat up. It’s fine by me if he talks, we think most of the things he says are funny. We’re just waiting to see how he’s going to act on fight day.”
Transcription from MMAFighting.com
