Conor McGregor has given upcoming opponent Jose Aldo a sneak preview of what his view will be like come the end of their bout at UFC 194, taunting the Brazilian with a post on Twitter.
The bitter rivals are set to square off in Las Vegas on Dec. 12 in one of the most hotly anticipated showdowns in MMA history, and McGregor has stirred the pot as the event edges closer:
Wake up Jose. It's all over. pic.twitter.com/3QAKqWfiAE
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 1, 2015
The image implies the Irishman will be standing over Aldo victorious at UFC 194, with the Brazilian looking up at his conquerer from the flat of his back. “Wake up Jose. It’s all over,” the accompanying caption, hints Aldo may also be having nightmares about squaring off against the dangerous McGregor.
With less than a fortnight to go until fight night, excitement is beginning to rise among MMA fans, who have long been waiting for these two superstars to collide.
They were initially expected to fight at UFC 189 earlier this year, before Aldo pulled out with an injury. At the time, that was a huge disappointment for the sport, but after McGregor beat Chad Mendes, the Brazilian’s replacement, in such emphatic style, he’s usurped Aldo as the favourite in the eyes of many leading up to this bout.
As we can see here in a separate social media post from McGregor, he’s in incredible shape in the build-up to this one:
That's light work. pic.twitter.com/4fN0dFlHMu
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 27, 2015
In fairness, he’ll have to be. Despite withdrawing from UFC 189, Aldo remains the pound-for-pound top-ranked fighter by the brand and has defended his UFC featherweight title on seven occasions in succession ahead of his upcoming fight. There’s a reason why he is heralded as one of the sport’s all-time greats and why he hasn’t lost for over a decade.
Still, McGregor has a right to be confident. His knockout victory over Mendes proved that when his left hand connects, few can handle it. In his most recent wins, McGregor has also made full use of the size and reach advantage he enjoys over the majority in the featherweight class, something that’ll also be the case against Aldo.
As we get closer and closer to Dec. 12, expect more and more of these kinds of barbs from both camps. Chamatkar Sandhu of MMA Junkie is expecting more from McGregor:
Sorry. Conference call takes place Wednesday, not tomorrow. But should be fun none the less. I'm expecting Conor McGregor to be dropping ??????
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) November 30, 2015
Indeed, one of the key ploys from the Irishman in the build-up to this fight has been trying to get under the skin of the usually unflappable Aldo, so there’s little chance he’ll stop now in the final stages of preparation.
For most men, that kind of message would send a chill down the spine. But Aldo is an awesome competitor and will be acutely aware that he has the skills to secure a victory. So, while he may be a little quieter in the build-up, you can bet that shutting McGregor up with a clinical display inside the Octagon would be very satisfying for the Brazilian.
