For Aldo and McGregor, action in the octagon will speak loudest

By Case Keefer (contact)

Monday, Dec. 7, 2015 | 2 a.m.

The second UFC card of the year produced a colorful moment when Conor McGregor leapt out of the cage after a victory in Boston to confront Jose Aldo in the front row.

The second-to-last event in 2015 for the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion will provide resolution to the lingering conflict between the two featherweights. Aldo, the 29-year-old lineal champion from Brazil, and McGregor, the 27-year-old interim champion from Ireland, will unify their belts Dec. 12 in the main event of UFC 194 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“The end of 2015 means the end of the featherweight division,” McGregor said. “They are all dead in the water. It’s done if the Brazilian shows up. I hope he does, but who knows? He’s petrified.”

The fight was delayed earlier this year when Aldo suffered a rib injury in training, weeks before the scheduled July 11 bout. McGregor hasn’t let Aldo hear the end of it.

The constant taunts have stirred McGregor’s fans as much as they’ve enraged those who support Aldo.

“Not only in Brazil but in America, too, people say to me, ‘You need to kill this guy. This guy has a big mouth,’ ” Aldo said through a translator. “For me, he’s just a joker.”

The trash talk is just part of what makes Aldo vs. McGregor so compelling. Aldo hasn’t lost in nearly a decade, winning 18 consecutive fights, including every one since signing with the UFC and its former sister promotion, the WEC. The speedy kickboxer tops the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings but has never received the public recognition to match, in part because he could never find an opponent on his level.

McGregor changes that. McGregor holds size and power advantages, having knocked out five of six opponents during his own undefeated run in the UFC.

The exception was a unanimous-decision win against Max Holloway, who since has won seven in a row, in a fight during which McGregor tore his ACL.

The feud between Aldo and McGregor has, in many ways, defined the year in mixed martial arts, so the UFC is granting it a massive stage. For the first time, the promotion is staging cards on each of the two nights before UFC 194 to satisfy the large contingent of fans expected to be in town for Aldo vs. McGregor.

Three other fights that could go down as monumental during a historic UFC weekend

Rose Namajunas vs. Paige VanZant

Both of these strawweight contenders have drawn comparisons to Ronda Rousey. UFC President Dana White made the parallel with Namajunas, who last year submitted three opponents on “The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned.” Carla Esparza upset Namajunas for the championship belt, but the 23-year-old has a chance to regain momentum against a fighter who has captured even more hype. VanZant, 21, has won all three of her UFC fights, including two by knockout, and has an individual sponsorship deal from Reebok.

Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes

The next opponent for the winner of Aldo vs. McGregor likely will be unearthed during the headlining event a night earlier. Edgar, 35, is a former UFC lightweight champion whose only loss since moving to featherweight came almost three years ago in a razor-thin decision to Aldo. Mendes, 30, battled Aldo in 2014 in a unanimous decision that won Fight of the Year honors. Mendes also dominated McGregor for much of their fight in July as a replacement for Aldo but faded at the end of the second round before suffering a knockout loss.

Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold

Aldo and McGregor will monopolize people’s attention, but theirs may not be the best fight of Saturday’s pay-per-view. Weidman is 13-0, including two wins over Anderson Silva, considered by many to be the best fighter of all time. But all of the middleweight champion’s wins during his title reign have come against aging legends. As the co-main event of UFC 194, 31-year-old Weidman will meet another slick finisher in his prime, 31-year-old Luke Rockhold. None of Rockhold’s UFC fights has gotten out of the second round, and he has won four consecutive bouts, including three by submission.