Jose Aldo was undefeated for 10 years, but only lasted 13 seconds in the octagon with Conor McGregor at UFC 194.
After talking the talk for months, The Notorious backed it all up by walking the walk in emphatic fashion against the only featherweight champion the UFC had ever known.
So where do you go from setting a record for fastest title win in the history of the company – and against the supposed pound-for-pound best fighter in the business?
Here are the three possible next opponents for The Notorious as he looks to cement himself into the history of the sport.
Frankie Edgar
This is arguably the least interesting option for everyone not named Frankie Edgar. The American won the right to compete for the featherweight title by taking down Chad Mendes with a first-round knock-out on Friday and is a previous lightweight champion.
But for fans of Conor McGregor, simply watching The Notorious defend his title against a 34-year-old would seem like a massive anti-climax. The McGregor hype has made UFC more popular than ever before. Dana White has shown a canny understanding of what the fans want in the past, so it would be surprising to see him push this fight through.
Jose Aldo
After being knocked out after just 13 seconds, Jose Aldo remarked in his post-fight interview that it wasn’t even really a fight and he deserved a re-match. While he was right about it not really being a fight, we don’t think he meant it the same way everyone else does.
A re-match between the two would have guaranteed interest if the past year is anything to go by, but there’s always the chance that casual fans will become bored with another six months of McGregor v Aldo hype.
Despite being the champion for 10 years, Aldo’s relationship with the UFC is cool and the company may not feel obliged to offer him a rematch. On the other hand they could potentially give him a re-match on the same night that Ronda Rousey gets a second shot at Holly Holm. An angry Aldo seeking vengeance would be a very interesting prospect indeed.
Rafael Dos Anjos or Donald Cerrone
This is probably the most exciting prospect on the table. McGregor has made no secret of his hope to move up to the lightweight division and claim a second title belt, while his coach John Kavanagh has said he never wants to see The Notorious make that gruelling weight-cut for featherweight again.
UFC have already said that McGregor would have to forfeit the featherweight title if he wanted to move up another weight class, but the Irishman has made it clear he wants to hold both titles at the same time. To get there, he’ll have to take on the winner of Saturday’s bout between Rafael Dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone.
But UFC’s posturing about McGregor vacating his title could simply be an attempt to drum up some drama ahead of a lightweight title fight that hardly needs any extra spark. Everyone could be in for a killer payday if McGregor gets his wish to fight at Croke Park.
However that seems unlikely. The loss of Pay-Per-View income in the States from the early show that would be required to circumnavigate the Croke Park residents make this a less-profitable proposition, even if they managed to sell-out Croker.
Conor: It doesn't matter who wins between Dos Anjos/Cerrone. The division needs me, I don't need the division. #UFC194
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) December 13, 2015
