It’s 2015 all over again! Jose Aldo is reeling back from a physical toll. Conor McGregor is returning to action with possible title implications further down the line. The return of these two icons is genuinely good news for combat sports enthusiasts. However, like in 2015, Aldo wouldn’t be squaring up with ‘The Notorious.’
In fact, he wishes Conor McGregor nothing but the best. He faced the Irishman at the UFC 194 in a featherweight title headliner. Bagging the title strap at a monumental pace marked the beginning of the former double-division champ’s rise to popularity. He will face Michael Chandler on June 29 upon his return, and Aldo hopes McGregor takes the win.
I always root for the guys, who I fought and the guys who have beat me...because that just proves that I lost to the best...I hope that he can go in there and be the Conor of old and be aggressive, and go in there to finish the fight... I expect great things from that fight. Jose Aldo to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn
Aldo and McGregor’s trajectory went vastly different after their clash. Aldo, a UFC HOF and former UFC/WEC featherweight titleholder, returns to action at UFC 301 in Brazil. Speaking to MMA Junkie’s coverage journo Mike Bohn, he confirmed his retirement return at UFC 301 will be his final UFC fight. He had previously declared his exit after a UD loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278.
On the other hand, McGregor is also in a similar boat. With only two fights left in his contractual run, UFC 303 marks an important date. Only a win would extend McGregor’s career. He has not won a fight since 2020, and the fight against Chandler will answer a lot of questions about the Irishman’s future.
Conor McGregor since UFC 194 – A ‘Notorious’ Recap – How has the journey been so far?
Conor McGregor’s highly anticipated return vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 303 is the talk of the town. After nearly three years away from fighting, the former featherweight and lightweight titleholder McGregor returns to the octagon. He would face the TUF: Season 31 coaching rival, but the fight kept getting delayed.
His five-round welterweight bout on June 29 (ESPN, ESPN+) marks the first time fighting since his 2021 trilogy injury and loss. Ahead of this, old rival Jose Aldo has wished him well.
Soon after UFC 194, Conor McGregor fought Nate Diaz and lost his first UFC fight. Later, he avenged the loss at UFC 202 and went on to face Eddie Alvarez in a lightweight title bout. He defeated Alvarez and became the first simultaneous double champion in the UFC. Soon, he had a historic crossover boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
Recent years have not been kind to McGregor, 22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak. It wasn’t always like this. Before that, he lost via submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a historic PPV fight. During these years, McGregor had the best PPV numbers but it never translated to a win inside the octagon.
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