UFC 189 is going to be the event of the summer.
Did you think the UFC was going to return to lackluster PPV events after Saturday's stacked UFC 187? The July pay-per-view is arguably better than what you were just witness to this past weekend. It, too, includes two title fights.
Robbie Lawler defends the welterweight gold against Rory MacDonald in the co-main event, but the fight everyone awaits is the featherweight title tilt. Conor McGregor challenges longtime champion Jose Aldo for the top prize at 145-pounds.
McGregor has ascended to being one of the brightest stars in the MMA world. He is a big draw. McGregor's destruction of Dennis Siver broke Fox Sports 1's ratings record. It peaked at over three million viewers. That is a monster rating for Fox Sports 1. That fight was the final piece to the puzzle to put him opposite Aldo.
Aldo has dominated this division. His stiffest test was his last fight against Chad Mendes when the two went toe-to-toe for five rounds. At the end of the day, Aldo remained champion with a second victory over Mendes. McGregor is the only fighter in the top five that Aldo has not beaten.
Why is this fight so highly anticipated?
McGregor. Plain and simple. He is an enigma. So charismatic, and so talented. He backs up what he says. His size and talents also make him a legitimate threat to topple Aldo off the mountain. McGregor shies away from no one, including Aldo. After defeating Siver, McGregor hopped out of the cage and got in his face. Aldo was unflinching.
The UFC knows what kind of fight it has on its hand. Thus, we get a stellar trailer to help get the promotion for the event underway.
UFC President Dana White wants this fight to be everything that Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao was not, per MMA Junkie. This trailer has already topped the one released for that fight. It shows the UFC has improved in their ability to craft interesting videos for fights they truly care about.
The UFC used 187 as its platform to release the 189 trailer. The hype had already begun thanks to McGregor and his legion of fans, but now the push is gearing up for an all-out blitz. This is a great trailer that fight fans can watch over and over until the actual fight day arrives.
UFC 189 takes place during International Fight Week on July 11 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Bleacher Report will keep you up-to-date on everything surrounding this stacked event in the days and weeks to come.
