Georges St-Pierre has compared the upcoming bout between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo at UFC 194 to the classic showdown involving Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva back in 2010, insisting the Irishman has gotten into the head of his opponent.
GSP, the former UFC pound-for-pound king, was speaking on Sonnen’s podcast (h/t Patrick McCarry of SportsJoe.ie) when talk turned to the upcoming event in Las Vegas, which is set to be one of the biggest in the brand’s history.
The Canadian suggested the trash talking done by McGregor towards Aldo in the build-up won't be hollow words:
If I can make a comparison to you [Sonnen] and Anderson Silva, it's a little to me—and I don't know if I'm right—that Conor is getting into Aldo's head. I don't know but I guess we'll find out in the fight.
Aldo is a very smart guy but McGregor, the way he trash talks, I think there is a purpose to it.
Most of the guys who have fought Aldo have been a little intimidated because Aldo has an aura of invincibility; a bit like Anderson Silva back in the day, before you fought him.
Mentally, McGregor is trying to break that aura. He has to break it physically, too, so we'll see. It will be an interesting fight. A nice clash of styles.
Here's a listen to the exchange between St-Pierre and Sonnen:
It’s a fight that has got everyone talking, and after the earlier clash between the rivals, scheduled to be held at UFC 189, was called off, the excitement is palpable as Dec. 12 edges ever closer.
McGregor is now seen as a credible challenger to the Brazilian after he knocked out Aldo’s replacement Chad Mendes at UFC 189, and in the eyes of many, he’s the favourite coming into the bout. His reach advantage and power will certainly pose problems on the night, although Aldo is still rated as the pound-for-pound king for a reason.
Nevertheless, the Irishman has been unshakeably confident about his chances of winning, per the UFC’s official Twitter feed:
"When we collide, he will collapse" @TheNotoriousMMA #UFC194: Aldo vs McGregor Saturday Dec. 12th on Pay-Per-View pic.twitter.com/1LUgw0NLiH
— UFC (@ufc) November 23, 2015
Speaking on the podcast, Sonnen suggested McGregor may not be as internally bullish as he is externally. The retired fighter pointed to an interview the Irishman conducted with TMZ recently, in which he discussed Ronda Rousey and how “defeat is the secret ingredient to success.”
Sonnen thinks McGregor could easily be talking about himself, per McCarry:
With some of the stuff Conor has been saying [lately], I think he sat, studied some Jose Aldo tape and realised 'Man, I'm in a tussle here too.’
Conor has been laying some ground-work too. He was doing an interview about Ronda but, in truth, he was describing himself. He was saying champions get beat and that's part of the sport... You're listening to it saying 'Conor, you're talking about yourself here. You're laying the ground-work’
That's a real thing. You do think about losing.
Of course, there will be some concerns for McGregor when facing Aldo. The Brazilian is undefeated in MMA for 10 years after all, and his ferocious leg kicks are capable of grinding down even the most durable of opponents.
UFCTonight co-host and retired fighter Kenny Florian noted just how much damage Aldo can do when he lets his kicks fly:
Most fighters throw leg kicks that just slap. Aldo is trying to break something with his leg kicks. https://t.co/bT9j50T5mA
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) November 23, 2015
There’s definite parallels to draw between Aldo-McGregor and Sonnen-Silva, too. The latter pair stepped into the Octagon on a couple of occasions to face each other, enduring two epic contests that ended in Silva wins. Like those fights, the main event next month is expected to be a punishing, thrilling encounter.
Indeed, McGregor himself posted on Instagram recently that he’s expecting UFC 194 to rake in a whopping $100 million (£66 million).
MMA writer Josh Gross thinks it's a show well worth getting excited about:
Everything great about MMA in this one and Aldo-McGregor. UFC 194 is a card worth rallying your friends to watch. https://t.co/xsOPGl4Fkk
— Josh Gross (@yay_yee) November 25, 2015
It’s definitely intriguing to get the viewpoint of two fighters who have fought in these types of high-profile spectacles before. There are few who know what it’s like to be in these types of situations and how the mind of an elite fighter works in the build-up to a crunch clash.
McGregor won’t cease his brash antics during final preparations, and it has been evident on a couple of occasions he’s unsettled Aldo. But as both St-Pierre and Sonnen allude to, the Brazilian is a class act, and if he brings his best to Las Vegas on the night, McGregor will find him very difficult to overcome.
