The last couple of weeks have given MMA fans a lot to digest.
The 12 day, eight city world tour to promote
UFC 189 Conor McGregor vs Jose Aldo is drawing to a close, but what knowledge have we actually gained from the experience?
A LOT is being invested on this fight
We always knew this was going to be a big one, but the amount of promotion this bout is receiving is astounding. The Embedded series really illustrates the vast amount of media work both fighters have to squeeze into their busy schedules.
McGregor has said that he will earn more than the gate at UFC 189 from his part in the headline bout. Whether you choose to believe that or not is another thing, but McGregor is guaranteed to be paid handsomely for the bout. It will undoubtedly be the biggest payday of his career.
The welterweight title fight is very much the support act
You'd be forgiven for forgetting that there's another title fight on the card. GSP's protege Rory MacDonald will finally get his crack at the welterweight belt when he takes on newly crowned champion Robbie Lawler.
That fight could headline almost any other card. However, it will be taking a back seat at UFC 189 to the main event. The fact that both MacDonald and Lawler feature in roughly 30 secs of the entire UFC 189 Embedded series so far should be indicative of just how much McGregor v Aldo is taking centre stage.
UFC 189 is (relatively) fragile
If either McGregor or Aldo were to withdraw from the contest (touch wood), it wouldn't necessarily ruin the event, but it would take a large part of the sheen off. They've dedicated an entire World Tour to the main event alone. Lawler and MacDonald have received minimal coverage in comparison.
Dana White needs to work on his grappling
White needs to get Gunnar Nelson on the UFC 189 card. He'll teach him how to counter stuff like this.
Aldo can get angry
He was previously thought of as this stoic figure. A champion who is impervious to anything a fighter throws at him which, until now, has rarely been a verbal assault. That's what made his infamous one-finger salute to McGregor so surprising in Brazil. We have never seen the champ hold so much contempt for an opponent before.
More than a few times he's squared up to the Notorious and he always looks like he's ruminating over the last stunt McGregor pulled that was designed to strike a nerve.
Not just Aldo, his coach is agitated too
McGregor's antics seem to have taken their toll on the entire Aldo camp. Dana White revealed that Aldo's coach Andre Pederneiras is genuinely worried that things might escalate to a physical fight .
"Andre Pederneiras told me – he’s not joking, he’s dead serious – that I better make sure that Conor McGregor does not touch Jose Aldo once during this entire tour."
"The level of disrespect that’s coming out of (McGregor’s) mouth will not be followed by the level of disrespect by him being touched."
As is Thiago Silva
The PSG captain had some harsh words to say about McGregor on a recent episode of UFC Embedded. Silva called the Irish UFC star a "douchebag" and a "mother******".
https://youtu.be/TFa5NC4lbqI?t=3m17s
Even Dana white's a tiny bit stressed
"I better sleep, eat my Wheaties and be ready on this trip to keep these two from touching each other, which I’m very conscious of."
Cha-ching, Dana. Just think of all those dollar signs and it will calm you down.
McGregor's been boning up on his Portuguese
He's been biding his time, waiting to wheel this one out. One can only hope Aldo counters by learning a few phrases as Gaeilge. A well-timed "Póg mo thóin" might make the Irish fans less hostile.
Aldo can talk trash
Despite the language barrier, Aldo's well able to talk smack. It's a rarity to see him engage in a war of words, and that might be because the vast majority of his opponents have been very respectful of him as a fighter. McGregor has not shown the same courtesy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HWJbkEKLpk
As can Dana White
Even the president has been letting his... eh, having a bit of fun.
https://twitter.com/danawhite/status/581105192004894720
Aldo isn't afraid to sling mud
PED use is the buzz issue in MMA right now. When the first group of fighters started getting popped for juicing, it was inevitable that the accusations would start flying around.
This isn't uncharted territory for McGregor, having talked about Dennis Siver's PED use at length in the build-up to their bout in January. However, it is a bit odd seeing Aldo so vocal about the topic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENo_xWE1Glw
McGregor doesn't plan on staying at featherweight much longer
He's been alluding to moving up to 155 lbs for a while now in order to make the weight cut easier. However, he has been dropping bigger hints, way more frequently promoting his title bout. It seems like McGregor is looking to move up as quickly as possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki6d5UhKqpc
Aldo seems sound
He might be the villain in Irish MMA fans' eyes but really, Aldo has represented himself very well on the tour. Particularly in the Embedded series where he doesn't put on a media persona.
McGregor is relishing playing the villain role by constantly trying to get Aldo to work himself into a frenzy but so far, the Brazilian has managed to hold it together. Aldo's insults tend to be reactionary to that of McGregor's and overall, he's come across as a decent guy.
That being said, he is standing in the way of Ireland getting their first ever UFC champion so therefore, he's the enemy by default.
