S.B.
02-01-2015, 09:47
LAS VEGAS – If victorious later this month, Conor McGregor will get a title shot, and “it’ll be the biggest fight that division has ever had.”
That’s how UFC President Dana White today summed McGregor’s situation and what’s next for reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
“This fight in Boston, if he wins, he’s going to fight for the title,” White said.
McGregor (16-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who’s No. 7 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings, meets unranked Dennis Siver (22-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC)in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 59 event, which takes place Jan. 18 at Boston’s TD Garden.
White already said a victory would likely get the outspoken Irishman a title shot (possibly in an Irish stadium), and he today confirmed McGregor is a win away from challenging No. 1-ranked and long-reigning titleholder Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC).
It’s a decision that’s rubbed some fellow contenders, including Frankie Edgar, the wrong way. However, it’ll no doubt do big business.
McGregor, a former two-division Cage Warriors champ, is 4-0 since joining the UFC and is currently riding an overall 12-fight winning streak. Most recently, the trash-talking showman knocked out Dustin Poirier and Diego Brandao in impressive back-to-back “Performance of the Night” bonuses.
Aldo, meanwhile, recently won a rematch with Chad Mendes is now riding an 18-fight winning streak. He’s 15-0 under the UFC/WEC banner.
Of course, White was cautious to get too excited about the potential Aldo-McGregor matchup just yet.
“Everybody just assumed he’s going to run through Siver,” White said of McGregor. “Nobody thought he was going to beat Poirier, but now he’s just going to walk through Siver? I don’t ever f-cking count the chickens until the hatch, believe me, because anything can happen in this sport. So we’ll see what happens.”
That’s how UFC President Dana White today summed McGregor’s situation and what’s next for reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
“This fight in Boston, if he wins, he’s going to fight for the title,” White said.
McGregor (16-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who’s No. 7 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings, meets unranked Dennis Siver (22-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC)in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 59 event, which takes place Jan. 18 at Boston’s TD Garden.
White already said a victory would likely get the outspoken Irishman a title shot (possibly in an Irish stadium), and he today confirmed McGregor is a win away from challenging No. 1-ranked and long-reigning titleholder Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC).
It’s a decision that’s rubbed some fellow contenders, including Frankie Edgar, the wrong way. However, it’ll no doubt do big business.
McGregor, a former two-division Cage Warriors champ, is 4-0 since joining the UFC and is currently riding an overall 12-fight winning streak. Most recently, the trash-talking showman knocked out Dustin Poirier and Diego Brandao in impressive back-to-back “Performance of the Night” bonuses.
Aldo, meanwhile, recently won a rematch with Chad Mendes is now riding an 18-fight winning streak. He’s 15-0 under the UFC/WEC banner.
Of course, White was cautious to get too excited about the potential Aldo-McGregor matchup just yet.
“Everybody just assumed he’s going to run through Siver,” White said of McGregor. “Nobody thought he was going to beat Poirier, but now he’s just going to walk through Siver? I don’t ever f-cking count the chickens until the hatch, believe me, because anything can happen in this sport. So we’ll see what happens.”