IT GOES WITHOUT saying that Jose Aldo (25-1) will provide Conor McGregor (18-2) with his toughest test yet, and according to UFC lightweight Ross Pearson, it’s too difficult to predict if the Irish star is capable of passing it.
Since making his UFC debut in April 2013, McGregor has bulldozed his way through the featherweight division, picking up six comprehensive victories on the trot — a run which has included defeats of top contenders such as Chad Mendes, Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier.
A seventh will see the 27-year-old Dubliner become the undisputed UFC featherweight champion this Saturday night at UFC 194 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
However, the challenge facing McGregor is to overcome the only undisputed 145lbs champion in UFC history — Jose Aldo, who hasn’t tasted defeat in over 10 years, having won his last 18 bouts in a row.
“I think Conor is just on a steamroller of confidence right now,” Pearson told The42. “He’s got incredible belief in his own ability, he believes in his power and he believes that he can finish anyone.
“He’s been really impressive but this is going to be a completely different test to anything he’s come up against before. Jose is a different animal entirely. I think Jose will be there until the very bitter end. There’s no stopping that guy. I’m expecting it to be a war.”
However, Pearson is unable to pick a winner for the eagerly-anticipated bout: ”I think it will come down to how much Conor has got to give and how much Jose can take. Then we’ll see who’s left standing at the end but it’s far too difficult to say who that will be.”
McGregor and Aldo were originally scheduled to square off at UFC 189 back in July, but Aldo was forced to withdraw due to a rib injury so McGregor defeated Chad Mendes instead to win the UFC interim featherweight belt.
Pearson added: “It’s a fight that should have happened by now so I think everyone’s just looking forward to finally watching what happens at this stage. It’s a huge fight, one of the biggest in the UFC for a long, long time.”
Irelands best ever 9
@John Kidney: think he benefitted from playing his prime years under a coach that massively played to his strengths. His kicking and methodical, safe style with the sniping runs suited Schmidt down to the ground. He didn’t have quite the same impact really for Munster or Ireland under other coaches. Was a great player but not sure he’s the best ever 9.
@John Kidney: Agree and currently best Munster Number 9….
@Liam Joyce: name a better Irish 9
I’d love him to see out this season with Ireland and play a back up role to Casey next year at Munster. Still a quality operator as we saw against Saracen’s last Saturday.
@Kenjo: He’s soon to be 36! Young blood needs to be freed up.
@SPK: Danny care still playing, if he’s going good, carry on.
He deserves to see out his playing days in Munster
Here we go again !! Another Munster Rugby legend being messed around. Maybe they need training in player respect and management from their counterparts in Leinster.
@Daniel Kelly: You are so right
@Daniel Kelly: how is he being messed about? Are you saying a player nearly 36, who has become increasingly injury prone and is slowing down naturally due to age, should be given a lucrative contract extension? It’s a professional sport, not a retirement home. There has to be an element of ruthlessness.
@Aidan Farrell: there’s 3 provinces after getting their budgets squeezed over the last few yrs and one with the highest budget of any club in europe. I’d imagine contract negotiations are drawn out these days for all 3
@Aidan Farrell: didn’t seem too slow to me on that sa tour, he had a brilliant tour but that somehow slipped under the radar
@munsterman: 1- Toulouse: 49 million,
2- Stade français: 45 million
3- La Rochelle: 37 million.
Above are the big budgets in Europe.
IRFU made a loss of 18.4 million last year on a turnover of 79 million.
I don’t know how you are insinuating that Leinster are the biggest. Munster only filled their stadium twice this year for the New Zealand and Leinster matches. If you could fill the stadium every second week then maybe you could sign a few more players.
Get your facts right before you go mouthing off.
@Aidan Farrell: dont agree with u much but i do this time
@Jimmy Bean: you do realise all those French clubs operate under a salary cap? Or are you a bit dozy and think that toulouse spend 49m on their senior squad? I genuinely believe a lot of leinster fans especially think toulouse are paying every player in their senior squad nearly 1m each.
@Daniel Kelly: I get the impression, from Conor’s words, that he hasn’t decided if he wants another contract. We have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Last season’s negotiations were affected by the IRFU first not offering a central contract and then second by budget restrictions in Munster. It took a while for the hybrid contact idea to manifest, but the dealy was on the IRFU rather than Munster.
@munsterman: Sick of saying it, “alot” of Leinster fans are not represented by one comment on The42. However, his comment is no more or less “dozy” than stating that Leinsters budget is the biggest in Europe. 1st you have no access to thise figures. 2nd You are failing to understand how rugby is funded. Every country operates their own methodology of subsidising player salaries. The French use JIFF, the English use the PGP and Ireland use Central Contracting. The clubs in each country providing more players to the national team benefit most. The reason for the extreme disparity in Ireland is firstly due to Leinster’s dominance over the last 15 years and secondly because rugby has fallen behind in Ulster and Munster. Connacht have arguably improved their position over the same time period.
@munsterman: absolute rubbish with nothing factual to back it up
Conor Murray brilliant player for Munster and Ireland. Long may he continue
could easily do a Sexton on it and play till he is 38 and get another world cup in it. His game lends itself to longevity, he isnt sniping trying to make breaks but is an excellent strategic kicker and perfect to close a tight game out
Still playing well age just a number
Plying as well as he ever has at the moment
@Lesidees: unfortunately not, 2016-2018 he was probably the best scrum half in the world
Would expect him to retire in the summer, to be honest.
@Aidan Farrell: I mean why would he? The French still love those control types of 9s, look at Lucu for Bordeaux, Parra went on well into his 30s. There’s probably good financial offers there from France or Japan. If his body is still good he’d be mad to retire
@Aidan Farrell: why?
@Aidan Farrell: why he’s been understatedly brilliant the last year or 2, and before you say he’s blocking young players etc, he’s not, casey is 25 and munster starter, Patterson and coughlan also regularly used, doak the starter in ulster, in fact the only province that really don’t produce scrum halves and are relying on old ones, is leinster.
@Aidan Farrell: he will retire when he says it
@Eoin H: needs to retire in Ireland for the tax return I’m fairly sure
@Robert O’Connor: He doesn’t… Paul O’Connell and Donnacha Ryan finished their careers in France. As did Sean O’Brien. You just need to complete 10 years in Ireland. However, I don’t think Conor Murray has a graw for travelling abroad. I cannot back this up with a quote, but something is lingering in the back of my head that he was asked the question and categorically said he would never want to play anywhere bar Munster.
He’ll know when it’s time. I would love to see him going into officiating as he knows the laws very well. Now whether his body could keep pace is another question.
@Con Cussed: Oh please no. I cant take the interprovincial ‘bias’ conspiracies anymore!