There’s little that gets past UFC star Conor McGregor, and the fighting Irishman has given us an indication why, insisting he has “spies” in the camp of his upcoming opponent, Jose Aldo.
The grudge match between these two at UFC 194 is just days away, and McGregor revealed he knows quite a lot about the Brazilian’s preparations on the last episode of UFC 194 Embedded (h/t The 42):
He brought in a guy to mimic me and the guy that mimicked me put him out of the fight with a spin kick that went wide. I saw it. It was a sloppy kick. It was embarrassing to even get caught with a shot like that.
It just goes to show how flat and stuck he is. There’s no one that can mimic me. I have my spies in their camp so I see everything that goes on in that camp.
Of course, it’s impossible to tell whether there is much credence to the remarks made by McGregor, although it is usual practice to get a sparring partner who has similar stylistic qualities to an upcoming opponent. Aldo will be acutely aware that going up against the Irishman will be a totally different proposition on December 12, though.
McGregor certainly has the traits to cause the Brazilian—undefeated in professional MMA for over a decade—a lot of problems. Mentally, as we can see here courtesy of MMA History Today, the man from Dublin has been a big challenge for Aldo, too:
Good morning ladies & gentlemen..... We are exactly 7 days away from Conor McGregor vs Jose Aldo 12.12.15 pic.twitter.com/1uSA0OiewM
— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) December 5, 2015
As such, the build-up to the showdown has been bitter. The postponement has certainly helped build excitement, with Aldo pulling out of the fight initially scheduled to take place between the pair back in July at UFC 189, but throughout the promotion, neither man has had many kind words to say about the other.
Trash talk is natural during preparations in combat sports, especially a fight that is as anticipated and high-profile as this one. But as Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden suggests, there is a genuine sense that when it comes to McGregor and Aldo, these two simply do not like each other:
What if Conor McGregor +Jose Aldo really do hate each other and fight TO THE PAIN on international TV? I am dying over here. Is it Saturday?
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) December 8, 2015
Deep down, they will respect each other, though. They have to. McGregor will know Aldo, despite his “spies” and claims that he’s “flat and stuck,” represents the biggest challenge of his career so far. And for Aldo, McGregor proved himself as an elite-level competitor in beating Chad Mendes, who stepped in for the Brazilian at UFC 189.
Ultimately, all the ingredients are there for a tremendous fight. The promotion has been done brilliantly: The postponement has inadvertently added to the expectation levels, the styles of both men marry up and the needle between the two is raw. But perhaps most pertinently of all, even after so much back-and-forth, this featherweight fight remains almost impossible to call.
