After UFC 179, featherweight division includes king, prince and joker

(This story appears in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

As far as champion Jose Aldo is concerned, the pecking order in the UFC’s featherweight division has now been clearly established.

“I think the court is complete,” Aldo said after successfully defending his title in a rematch with top contender Chad Mendes at UFC 179 in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night. “I’m the king, Chad’s the prince, and now we have a joker.”

That last jab was a not-so subtle reference to Conor McGregor, the would-be featherweight contender who’s made as much of an impact with his mouth as with his fists in his short time with the UFC.

But if Aldo thinks his underlings will be content to accept their assigned positions at court without protest, he’s in for a surprise. The good news is, the coming upheaval is likely to make for an entertaining game of musical chairs as the UFC’s 145-pound class threatens to become the most competitive and compelling division in the organization.

Things are only going to heat up in November as four different top-10 featherweights square off on two separate fight cards to whittle the field of challengers down to a more manageable sum.

First there’s Dennis Bermudez, who’s ranked sixth in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings, taking on No. 5 Ricardo Lamas at UFC 180 on Nov. 15. A week later, No. 3 Cub Swanson faces No. 4 Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 57, all but guaranteeing that we won’t make it past Thanksgiving without at least one fighter staking a legitimate claim to the top contender spot.

But just when we’re on the verge of getting too wrapped up in the dry business of contender math, the court jester emerges to take our minds off it.

Of all the possible featherweight contenders to choose from, only No. 8 McGregor was present for Aldo’s latest title defense, periodically leaping up from his cageside seat to give fans a better look at his finely tailored suit. McGregor also has another fight booked, though not until January, when he’s slated to meet unranked vet Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 59, and he seems eager to spend the months between then and now making himself a ubiquitous fixture in every conversation about the future of the division.

It’s a tricky situation for the UFC. On paper, McGregor’s claim to the top contender spot is the weakest of the bunch. He has yet to lose a fight in the UFC, but he’s also yet to face an opponent among the division’s elite. But what McGregor lacks in credentials, he more than makes up for in charisma. He’s easily the division’s most polarizing figure, making him a guaranteed draw for the UFC, whether he’s fighting for a belt or addressing hostile fans at a Q&A session, as he did in Rio:

But ticket sales and pay-per-view revenues aside, should McGregor’s popularity trump other fighters’ accomplishments?

Aldo doesn’t think so. The champ was dismissive of McGregor both before and after his latest title defense, admitting that he intentionally refrained from mentioning the Irishman by name when he made flippant reference to the division’s “joker.”

“He’s a guy that just talks,” Aldo said of McGregor. “He hasn’t fought anyone.”

At the same time, the more we see of the dominant, yet soft-spoken Aldo, the more it seems like talking up a fight beforehand is the only thing he doesn’t do well. A matchup with McGregor might put him opposite that rare opponent who can hype the fight all on his own. Then all the featherweight king would have to do is go out and win it.

For complete coverage of UFC 179, check out the UFC Events section of the site.