When Dana White announced that the UFC would likely spend more money promoting Jose Aldo v Conor McGregor, MMA fans were united in a “shut the hell up, you’ll jinx it.”
An unprecedented world tour, more embedded episodes than ever before and a new promo video seemingly every week built a house of cards that could have been knocked down with one fell swoop, or one overeager kick.
It was reported this evening that the UFC featherweight champion had suffered a fractured rib in sparring and, with 18 days until the UFC 189 main event, we were all hoping that it was a rumour.
But let’s put our pessimist hat on and say it isn’t a rumour. Let’s say that Aldo really is out of the fight. It could have far greater implications on the promotion than an already stacked UFC event losing out on a bout.
In fact, the reliability of the sport of MMA itself could be taken down a few pegs as it would be just the latest in a litany of huge title fights that have been rescheduled due to injury.
Jon Jones v Daniel Cormier, Chris Weidman v Vitor Belfort and TJ Dillashaw v Renan Barao were all delayed due to fighters getting hurt and it’s eventually going to get to the stage where MMA fans will presume that all big fights won’t reach their realisation the first time around.
It’s certainly happening an awful lot more these days than it was 10 years ago, fighters falling out and citing injury.
Is it that fighters are getting softer? Unlikely. Rather the answer lies with the fact that competitors are engaging in sparring sessions that are far too heavy and much too close to their fight.
While we don’t know how hard Aldo was going when he allegedly got caught with a kick that fractured his rib, there’s no way he should have been putting himself in that precarious position less than three weeks out from the fight.
If fight fans start thinking “meh, this fight won’t happen first time around,” for the bigger bouts, then what’s the point in them getting excited by and shelling their hard-earned money out to see the contest?
The UFC should seriously consider implementing a system whereby a fighter vacates his/her belt if they can’t defend it within 9 months (Aldo is right around the 9 month mark now).
That would mean that fighters can’t rest on their laurels so that they can hang onto the gold for as long as possible and it will also encourage fighters to train more intelligently so as not to endanger their position as champion.
While there’s no chance that the UFC will make the decision to turn the main event into an interim title fight and push Robbie Lawler v Rory MacDonald to the main event slot, we will likely still see Conor McGregor compete at the event.
The only two fights that would make sense for McGregor are two that many argue should have been made before he was given a title shot and they are bouts against either Frankie Edgar or Chad Mendes.
Both fighters are coming off wins over big-name opposition in Urijah Faber and Ricardo Lamas respectively.
Both fighters would offer a test of the oft-questioned takedown defence of the Irish 145lber.
And both fighters are actually ahead of The Notorious in the latest UFC featherweight rankings.
A fight with either would obviously be an unwelcome change for McGregor who, understandably, would be a little pissed off at having his title shot taken away and being thrown in against one of two gritty, experienced wrestlers.
A loss to Edgar or Mendes, which is by no means inconceivable, would likely lead to McGregor missing out on a title shot for at least another 9 months and by then the McGregor/Aldo hype could have been quelled irreparably.
But refusing a match-up would see the Dubliner miss out on a paycheck which is something that no fighter wants to do.
So the UFC would lose out and McGregor would lose out but the people you have to feel most sorry for are the fans.
Countless Irish fans have already bought their tickets to see the grudge match and this was universally considered to be the biggest night in the history of Irish mixed martial arts.
The giddiness among McGregor supporters has been palpable throughout the build-up and you’d hate to see them be let down and out of pocket by this unfortunate injury.
Here’s to hoping that the reports are untrue … or that Jose Aldo has a damn good doctor.
