The UFC 189 event on July 11 is headlined by the UFC featherweight title fight between long-time champion Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor. The match has been on the schedule for a long time, and the UFC has put a never before seen media blitz behind the fight, so big things are expected. Right now at the books, McGregor is down to a +110 underdog, with Aldo returning at (-130).
With the fight roughly two months away, both men are entering the full swing of training and preparation for this fight. When it comes to the business of talking and building up hype for the fight, most people have to admit that McGregor has taken it to new, bombastic levels. On the physical side, the world tour the UFC had them on put the men on stage together several times, and McGregor has height and reach advantages on Aldo, whereas it is usually Aldo who has those physical advantages heading into the fight. The common knock on McGregor is that he was fast-tracked into a title shot by the UFC and he was given a bye when it comes to working his way up the rankings. Even now he sits fifth on Sherdog’s rankings, and not only has he not faced any of the men above him (Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, Ricardo Lamas), he only has one victory over a guy in the top 10 in Max Holloway, and Holloway surged into the top 10 with a terrific run only after he lost to McGregor.
Aldo has not really shown his Jiu Jitsu game, instead preferring to use his wiry athleticism to outstrike his opponents with knees, elbows and punches. In this fight however, he is facing a fighter who is taller and has more reach and is also an unorthodox striker. McGregor does have 15 KOs in his 17 wins, so Aldo may elect to test his wrestling and submission game in this one.
Check out the UFC’s recap of their UFC 189 World Championship Tour:
