“Tougher than the first one.”
That’s how Andre Pederneiras foresees Conor McGregor’s chances at getting his only UFC defeat back.
McGregor takes on Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 200 in a rematch of their 170 lbs clash at UFC 196 which ended in shocking circumstances as Diaz forced the tap from the heavy favourite in the second round.
Pederneiras, who is head coach to former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, believes that ‘The Notorious’ is simply out of his depth at welterweight.
He told MMAFighting: “I think Conor will control more his impulse to get the knockout so he doesn’t gas again, but even if he wins, which I don’t think will happen, he’s way smaller than the athletes in this division, and I’m not even talking about the champion.
“For an example, a fight between him and Demian (Maia), who is a big guy for the division since he came from 185 lbs, Conor’s chances at defeating guys in this division are really low.”
McGregor’s desire to fight at welterweight once more has left the UFC’s featherweight division in a bit of a logjam as the top contenders are unable to fight the champion when he is busy fighting at 170 lbs.
BREAKING: Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar for the interim featherweight championship
— UFC Tonight (@UFCTonight) March 30, 2016
It has resulted in the UFC’s hand being forced to create an interim title fight for Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar at UFC 200, a rematch which Aldo’s camp weren’t exactly expecting.
“We were expecting the fight with Conor fight, but we can’t live to mourn,” Pederneiras said. “Aldo has a date and a fight booked, and it’s for the interim belt, so let’s work to win this title and fight Conor again.
“Both fighters have evolved a lot (since their original meeting at UFC 156),” he added. “It’s going to be interesting to see how they both prepare for each other in this new fight.”
The matchmaking of UFC 200 has already drawn criticism from many due to the fact that it can be argued that the promotion have kowtowed to the demands of Conor McGregor but Pederneiras has admitted that he understands why the UFC went down the route they have.
“About Conor vs. Diaz, I don’t have much to say,” he continued. “The UFC owners know the reasons (why it’s happening) and I can’t say anything about that because I have a business too and I do what has to be done so my company brings me the biggest profit possible.”
