Conor McGregor knocking out Jose Aldo at UFC 194 is a moment etched into MMA history. The Irishman’s 13-second KO of the most dominant UFC featherweight in 2015 helped both McGregor and the UFC skyrocket to new levels of fame. Nevertheless, does Conor’s lightning-quick KO prove that he’s a better fighter than Aldo? Well, Joe Rogan seems to think so.
On the JRE MMA show, Rogan and Jorge Masvidal discussed how fighters prepare for specific scenarios ahead of fights. Then, Joe brought up the example of Conor McGregor mimicking Jose Aldo in training and anticipating the right hand. This right hand, as we know, would prove Aldo’s undoing at UFC 194. Conor landed a vicious sniper left hook while absorbing Jose’s punch yet remaining unfazed by it.
After the pair finished admiring the insane sequence Conor pulled off, “Gamebred” said that Jose Aldo was a better fighter than the Irishman. Masvidal, like many, was of the opinion that a single knockout victory did not put McGregor above Aldo, simply because of how good the Brazilian’s wrestling abilities and resume were. But Joe Rogan disagreed as he felt The Notorious One was untouchable in the first rounds of fights. He also talked about how well Conor plays with the minds of his opponents.
“The thing about Conor is in that first round, particularly, he’s so explosive and he’s so quick. And that touch of death, he’s got these big-a** hands and he just launches it at people. In that first round, he’s one of the most dangerous guys alive,” said Joe.
Joe Rogan sure is right about one thing. Conor McGregor is one of the most dangerous fighters in the initial stages of a fight. But the problem is that he gasses quite quickly, losing his explosiveness and precision over time.
Was Joe Rogan right to say that Conor McGregor is better than Jose Aldo?
Joe Rogan did acknowledge that Aldo had the better resume of the two. But he still thought Conor was the better fighter who beat Jose in those 13 seconds. However, is that true? Is Conor McGregor a better fighter than the consensus featherweight GOAT Jose Aldo?
On the night of UFC 194, and in the buildup to their fight, Conor McGregor was absolutely the better fighter. His mind games, such as insulting Jose on national TV and snatching his title, all wreaked havoc on Jose’s headspace going into the fight. This is why Aldo was unusually aggressive and emotional when fighting McGregor, abandoning his usual, violent yet methodical approach for a brazen one.
However, in a potential rematch, having dealt with the initial shock of Conor’s tactics, Jose had the ability to beat Conor. After all, he was undefeated in the UFC before facing Conor, losing his last match in 2009. And he immediately regained the featherweight strap after McGregor left to box Mayweather.
All in all, Jose Aldo, one of the greatest featherweights of all time, has proven himself to be a great fighter. However, some fighters just cannot handle the heat that The Notorious One brings outside the cage, and the former WEC and UFC featherweight champ, Aldo, was one of them.
