NotoriousUFC PRESIDENT DANA White has guaranteed Conor McGregor the next shot at featherweight champion Jose Aldo, provided he beats Dennis Siver in Boston later this month.
Furthermore, speaking at a press event for UFC 182 in Las Vegas on Saturday night, White intimated that the fight could well be in an Irish stadium around May, though he was cautious not to confirm as much.
He did say, however, that the potential bout would be “the biggest fight that division has ever had.”
McGregor has been particularly vocal about headlining a stadium show in Dublin since beating Diego Brandao in front of a sold-out 02 Arena last July.
The UFC brass, including Gary Cook, the head of international development for the promotion, have confirmed that such an event is in the works, though whether it would be in the Aviva Stadium or Croke Park remains to be seen.
So too does Aldo’s willingness to defend his crown so far from his native Brazil or North America, where all his UFC fights have taken place to date.
With seven title defences under his belt, Aldo remains the first and only UFC featherweight champion. His most recent win was a rematch against Chad Mendes last October at UFC 179 in Rio de Janeiro.
The announcement ends the rife speculation which has surrounded the division as of late. Frankie Edgar, who ended Cub Swanson’s six fight win-streak in November, was also in the running to get another shot at Aldo or to possibly face McGregor in a number one contender elimination match, but such plans have evidently been shelved.
McGregor, now ranked at number five in the official rankings, has amassed four straight wins since joining the UFC in April 2013, including a first round TKO over perennial contender Dustin Poirier (pictured) at UFC 178 in September.
That said, he has been accused of talking his way into such an elevated position by press, fighters and fans alike, particularly in America.
The fact remains, though, that the Dubliner is only member of the division’s elite not to have fought and lost to Aldo and his popularity in Ireland would ensure a record-breaking gate for the promotion.
He is heavily favoured to beat the unranked Siver at the UFC FN 59 in the TD Garden on 18 January, which will be the first American show the SBG man has ever headlined.
Yet, Dana White was at pains to point out just how unpredictable MMA can be at such a high level.
“Everybody just assumed he’s going to run through Siver. Nobody thought he was going to beat Poirier, but now he’s just going to walk through Siver? I don’t ever fucking count the chickens until they hatch, believe me, because anything can happen in this sport. So we’ll see what happens.”
- Originally published 08.50
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