CONOR McGREGOR WILL end Jose Aldo’s reign as a UFC champion this weekend and McGregor’s size advantage will be a key factor.
That’s according to UFC heavyweight contender Ben Rothwell, who’s backing the Irishman to emerge victorious from this Saturday’s eagerly-anticipated featherweight title unification bout at UFC 194 in Las Vegas.
According to their respective UFC profiles, McGregor is two inches taller than Aldo. However, that difference has appeared to be much bigger on the many occasions the pair have gone head-to-head in the build-up to the fight.
In Aldo’s absence due to a rib injury, McGregor claimed the interim featherweight title at the expense of Chad Mendes back in July. Rothwell is expecting a similar outcome when the Dubliner takes on the dominant Brazilian.
It’s well-publicised that McGregor cuts a significant amount of weight to make the 145lbs limit, but the 34-year-old American believes it’s paying off.
“I think it could be a lot like the last fight [against Mendes],” Rothwell told The42. “McGregor is just a very big guy for that weight class and he’s very durable. When he starts putting his hands on these smaller guys they go down and I think that’s what’s going to happen again.”
Rothwell, who was in attendance at UFC 189 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena when McGregor overcame Chad Mendes, also praised the 27-year-old Irish star for the enormous impact he has made in the UFC since his debut just two-and-a-half years ago.
Rothwell, who’ll be aiming to move a step closer to a heavyweight title shot with a win against Josh Barnett on 30 January, said: “He [Conor McGregor] has drawn a lot of attention to our sport. I don’t ever remember seeing Irish fans in Vegas until Conor emerged on the scene. He’s been responsible for all of that.
“It used to be GSP [Georges St Pierre, former UFC welterweight champion] and Canada; people said the Canadians were the greatest fans ever. And they are awesome, die-hard fans. But all along we were missing out on Ireland and the Irish fans.
“Conor has brought that into the spotlight and the energy the crowd puts behind him is why I knew he was going to win at UFC 189. I made that call the week of the fight and I was right. With that type of energy, I could have beaten anyone that night if I had been fighting. He’s certainly made me excited anyway.”
