"What a warrior that man is!" - Conor McGregor heaps praise on Jose Aldo, says "he deserved more"
Conor McGregor seemingly holds one of his greatest rivals, Jose Aldo, in high esteem.
Heading out of a medical facility after a physical therapy session, Conor McGregor, recovering from his leg injury, briefly spoke to a Brazilian interviewer. As featured in a video posted on the Gossip Bae YouTube channel, Conor McGregor asked the interviewer where he’s from. Upon learning that he’s Brazilian, McGregor stated:
“Brazil. Good to see you, my man. Good to see you. Good to see Aldo had a good win the other week; very happy to see that. Oh, man, I’ll tell you what – What a warrior! What a warrior that man is! It was an honor to share the octagon. I would love him to do it again, you know. He deserved more, I thought. But, you know, a lot of respect for Jose Aldo.”
Jose Aldo’s reign of dominance in the featherweight division lasted for about a decade. The Brazilian legend won titles in multiple MMA organizations, including the UFC.
Conor McGregor faced Jose Aldo in a UFC featherweight title unification bout at UFC 194 on December 12th, 2015. Their fight lasted just 13 seconds, with McGregor stopping Aldo via first-round KO and capturing the undisputed UFC featherweight title.
Their rivalry featured a considerable amount of trash talk from both Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo. The Irishman, in particular, earned praise from many veterans of the sport for his crafty utilization of mental warfare tactics – such as his trash talk and relentless aggression – against Aldo.
Fast-forward to the current day, and Conor McGregor has competed in the featherweight, lightweight, as well as welterweight divisions. The Irishman has even teased a move up to middleweight. Meanwhile, Jose Aldo dropped down from featherweight and is currently a contender in the UFC bantamweight division.
Conor McGregor recovers from his injury, while Jose Aldo continues his quest for bantamweight glory
Conor McGregor’s most recent fight was a first-round TKO loss against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout at UFC 264 in July 2021. McGregor suffered a horrific leg injury during the lightweight contest. He’s currently recovering from his injury and is expected to return to the octagon in 2022.
As for Jose Aldo, he’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Pedro Munhoz in a bantamweight bout at UFC 265 in August 2021. Aldo is likely one win away from receiving a second shot at the UFC bantamweight title.