UFC 189 saw Irish star Conor McGregor defeat late replacement Chad Mendes for the interim UFC Featherweight title. The UFC has been bludgeoning the public over the head for a while now about how big a star McGregor is. But with his come-from-behind victory this past Saturday in a widely viewed fight, he made a lot of believers.
The UFC brass likely entered UFC 189 with a little bit of nerves, as they had failed to deliver the much hyped Jose Aldo versus McGregor fight. Aldo’s recovery should be just a few weeks, and that means that the Aldo-McGregor match could be scheduled for as early as November of this year.
There are several post-fight administrative details, such as everyone passing their drug screenings. McGregor also hinted that he had other things wrong with him than just a bruised rib, so hopefully that will not translate into and extended stay on the shelf. But if all goes well, Aldo and McGregor will by far be the biggest fight in UFC history, and they couldn’t have planned it any better. Though the UFC’s ability to monetize is maximized in Las Vegas, there exists the possibility of taking the Conor McGregor show to the shores of Ireland, and that would be historic.
Check out our latest “State of MMA” Talk ‘n’ Shoot Podcast, where we go in depth into last weekend’s awesome UFC 189 event.
