Conor McGregor Talks Jose Aldo, Tyson Fury, More in UFC 194 Press Conference

Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo came face-to-face on Wednesday evening just days ahead of their much-anticipated grudge match at UFC 194 on Saturday, with the former vowing to stop his illustrious opponent in the first round.

The pair were both speaking at a press conference to promote what is set to be one of the biggest nights in the history of MMA. McGregor insisted he’ll put on a performance worthy of the occasion's grandeur, and Aldo, the top pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, will not be able to cope with him, per Martin Domin of the Mail Online:

I'm fully ready and I'm ready to put on the performance of my life. Within four minutes the shot is going to land. I see him crumbling.

I visualise entering the contest unpredictable. I will pressure him, I will evade him. I will strike him with every limb: the knee, the heel, the fist, the elbow. I will be a ghost in there. He will think I'm there, but I'm not there. He'll think I'm not there, but I'm there.

This will be a spectacle, this will be a masterclass. This one will be the changing of the guard; me bringing in a new era. I'm a man who has something to prove and that makes me a dangerous man.

Here’s a look at what was an intriguing and intense staredown between the longstanding rivals, per UFC Europe:

There was certainly a steely tension between these two when they were in close proximity. In the past, such is the animosity between the pair, they’ve had to be held back from one another in order to prevent them from going at it, but both men were clearly calm and focused with the fight edging ever closer.

As Chamatkar Sandhu of MMA Junkie noted after the press conference, perhaps, despite all the barbs back and forth, there is some respect for each other underneath their bulletproof exteriors:

My biggest takeaway was Aldo and McGregor giving each other the nod of the head after they faced off. Respect. https://t.co/NAuRV9uIwt

— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) December 10, 2015

At this juncture, little needs to be done to promote this fight anymore. Each man's credentials would typically be enough to sell it, but the style variations, the anticipation after Aldo withdrew from the bout earlier this year and McGregor’s thunderous stoppage win over Chad Mendes makes this one a massive occasion.

Aldo, having not lost in professional MMA for 10 years, has been in these types of scenarios before, facing and beating quality competitors such as Mendes and Frankie Edgar. By contrast, McGregor is a little less experienced at this level, although the Irishman was adamant he was ready to take this chance after a long time waiting.

“I'm in a state of zen; my mind is calm and composed,” he said. “I'm prepared, and I am happy we are here; this must be 15 press conferences I've done without getting to fight this man.”

McGregor says he's ready to take his chance on Dec. 12.

McGregor also had to respond to questions about world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. The latter had claimed to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour (h/t Luke Thomas of MMA Fighting) the former had mimicked his gimmick in order to sell fights. But McGregor insisted he is very much his own man.

“I've been compared to Chael [Sonnen], to Anderson [Silva], to [Nick] Diaz, to Muhammad Ali,” recounted the Irishman. “Now you’re trying to compare me to Tyson Fury. I am my own man on my own journey. Tyson is an amusing character. I am me.”

Few would disagree with that assessment. McGregor’s unique persona has uplifted a lot of UFC fans and, while there has been some hyperbole in the run up to UFC 194, he’s helped make this an occasion that the world will tune in for. If he can cap his brilliant promotion with a similarly impressive victory, it’d be a remarkable achievement.

Plenty have tried and failed when it comes to beating Aldo, though, who has long dominated the featherweight division. The Brazilian has always found a way to win in his previous outings, and while McGregor is expecting this one to be over quickly, he’ll be acutely aware of the fact Aldo will be ready to push himself to the brink.