Trading Shots: An immediate rematch for Aldo might be fair, but is fair enough?

In this week’s Trading Shots, MMAjunkie columnist Ben Fowlkes and retired UFC/WEC fighter Danny Downes look at Jose Aldo’s case for an immediate rematch after his loss at UFC 194, and new UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor’s plans for a multi-divisional future.

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Fowlkes: Well Danny, Conor McGregor is your new UFC fedderweight champion, yeah? Titles don’t change hands any faster or more violent than that. So why does it already seem like no one is sure what to do next?

After knocking out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds, McGregor almost immediately floated the idea of heading up to lightweight, where UFC President Dana White said he’d get an instant title shot. McGregor also said he wouldn’t leave his featherweight belt behind, which makes you wonder about the fates of both Frankie Edgar, who was promised whatever he wants after beating Chad Mendes, as well as Jose Aldo, who wants a rematch.

Let’s take the last question first. Should Aldo get an immediate rematch? I mean, Cain Velasquez is getting one. So is Ronda Rousey, in all likelihood. What about Aldo?

Downes: If you’re citing precedent, then there’s no reason Aldo shouldn’t receive an immediate rematch. But for better or worse, MMA does not place the same value on precedence as the U.S. legal system.

Aldo losing in 13 seconds doesn’t exactly set the stage for the most marketable rematch. But come on, is a 13-second loss worse than Rousey getting dominated for two rounds? I think Aldo deserves a rematch. Having a title reign as long as he did should grant him that much.

The reason people don’t like rematches is because they find them boring. Not that the fights themselves would be uninteresting, but fans like things they haven’t seen before. The potential unknown of Edgar vs. McGregor has more promise than a rematch. It’s like the movie industry. Some sequels are fun, but it eventually gets to the point where you’re rehashing the same gimmick over and over. People want something new and fresh.

As for McGregor heading up to lightweight. I’ll believe it when I see it. Every fighter brags about being good enough to compete in two divisions, but we rarely see it. Anderson Silva had a couple fights at light heavyweight, but he never made a real push. McGregor has backed up everything he’s said so far, though, so maybe he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

How do you see this playing out Ben? Either Edgar gets disappointed or Aldo gets shunned. What’s the lesser of two evils?

Fowlkes: The argument that Aldo should get a rematch because seemingly every other former champion in his situation has – the precedence argument, basically – is an appeal to fairness in an unfair sport. I’m sympathetic to that argument, but I also think it ignores why champs like Rousey and Velasquez are getting to do it again (brother).

Holly Holm and Ronda Rousey

Whatever else the UFC might say in the lead up to Holm-Rousey II, that fight has nothing to do with fairness. It has everything to do with money. This sport is a giant carnival, and the object is to get paying customers inside the tent. To do that, you go with whatever attraction you think will draw the largest crowds – not the attraction that’s the most fair, based on previous attractions.

McGregor-Aldo II would do decent numbers. Then again, McGregor spending the night alone in a haunted house on pay-per-view would also do decent numbers, because he’s just that popular right now.

The big problem with an instant rematch here is viewer fatigue. We sat through an entire “world tour” with these two guys already. We watched their Vegas strip commercial until we were hearing that Kanye West/Jay-Z song in our sleep. You ask me to sit through it all again and, even though I would totally watch a rematch, a part of me just feels so tired of this pairing.

Personally, I think McGregor should stay at featherweight and fight Edgar. But if he doesn’t want to make that weight cut anymore, I don’t think we can argue with him. He looks terrible on weigh-in day. And aren’t we always wringing our hands about drastic weight cuts in this sport?

At the same time, if the weight cut is the reason he wants to go straight up to lightweight, he can’t justify holding onto the featherweight title. Either he’s willing to keep being a featherweight or he isn’t. And if he is, damn it, give Edgar his shot.

But I get the sense that you don’t believe this lightweight talk, Danny. What’s that about? Have you been hurt too many times before to ever trust again?

Downes: I suppose I have trust issues. I guess it all goes back to my childhood. See, it was Christmas Day 1993 and I had asked Santa for…

Nevermind. As for the two divisions thing, McGregor has to pick one and stay with it. You can’t keep the title hostage. The UFC created an interim tile because Aldo got injured, but McGregor can keep the belt because he wants to go play with the (slightly) big(ger) boys? This may be an unfair sport, but it’s not unreasonable.

As for viewer fatigue, we just came off a week with three straight nights of fights, and you’re worried about McGregor vs. Aldo II? I don’t deny that there will be people tired of seeing them do it again (brother), but those are the people who will watch no matter what. You said it yourself, McGregor is hot right now. You put him on UFC Fight Pass giving Ben Fowlkes fashion advice and people will watch it.

Before last night, Aldo was the only featherweight champion in UFC history. Now he has to get to the back of the line? Besides Max Holloway, who does he fight?

Fowlkes: First of all, Ben Fowlkes doesn’t need any fashion advice, OK? He’s just going to keep wearing the same jeans until they get a hole in the knee from playing gorillas with his daughter, and then he’s going to go buy the exact same pair. It’s a system that cannot be improved upon, Danny.

As for Aldo, the cruel twist is that his future now depends on what McGregor decides to do. If McGregor goes up, Aldo probably fights Edgar for the newly vacant featherweight belt next. If McGregor stays, Aldo gets the first non-title bout in his UFC career.

Max Holloway

Honestly, I’d love to see Aldo and Holloway go at it. I’d also love to see McGregor and Edgar. If you could only convince this wildly ambitious Irishman to stick around, the featherweight division will get very, very interesting in the coming months.

But after all this time of begging various champions to go up or down in weight, dreaming about superfights that never materialize, a part of me feels like McGregor is the best hope we have to see it happen. I know we’ve had this trick played on us before, Danny, but this is “Mystic Mac” making the promises now. Has he been wrong yet?

Downes: No, he hasn’t. He’s done everything he said he would do. He’s the general of the Irish invasion, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. That’s true whether he fights Aldo or Edgar, and whether he fights at lightweight or featherweight.

The man has made his mark on the sport and has cemented his position as a star. Will he burn out under the pressure of burning so brightly, and wanting so much? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

For more on UFC 194, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

Ben Fowlkes is MMAjunkie and USA TODAY’s MMA columnist. Danny Downes, a retired UFC and WEC fighter, is an MMAjunkie contributor who also writes for UFC.com and UFC 360. Follow them on twitter at @benfowlkesMMA and @dannyboydownes.