WOW! @TheNotoriousMMA KOs @josealdojunior in 13 seconds. 🇮🇪👊 #AndNew #UFC194 https://t.co/53rqGJ2OhB
— #UFC194 (@btsportufc) December 13, 2015
A LEGION of Irish fight fans stayed up until the early hours of Sunday morning to watch Crumlin’s own Conor McGregor fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Featherweight title against Brazilian Jose Aldo Jr.
Conor McGregor was previously booked to fight Aldo in July, but a last-minute rib injury forced Aldo out of the fight. In his absence, McGregor was pitted against American wrestler Chad Mendes in an 'interim' title bout and, in turn, the next shot at Jose Aldo.
Despite facing adversity in that bout, McGregor knocked out Mendes in the closing seconds of the second round. That win in July paved the way for Sunday morning’s fight, which has proved to be UFC's most profitable to date, grossing approximately $90million.
As McGregor began his walk to the Octagon, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas was awash with green. Echoes of “Ole, Ole, Ole” engulfed the sold out arena and the Irishman looked calm and composed as he entered the cage to his traditional walk-out music, a mash-up of Sinead O'Connor's version of 'The Foggy Dew' and the Notorious B.I.G’s 'Notorious'.
Referee John McCarthy ushered both men to the centre of the Octagon to tell both fighters to keep it clean. At that point it was apparent that Aldo’s nerves had gotten the better of him; the Brazilian stood tense as the Irishman moved loosely, Crumlin’s uncrowned king was ready to go to battle in the packed-out MGM.
From the opening bell Jose Aldo was aggressive, he swung shots carelessly towards the taller McGregor, who instinctively timed a counter left, which dropped the long-time champion.
McGregor immediately followed up with two punches which rendered the Brazilian defenceless, forcing the referee to wave the fight off, handing victory to the Dubliner and ending Aldo's unbeaten streak of 10 years within 13 seconds of the opening round.
The partizan Irish faithful in attendance broke out in song as McGregor climbed to the top of the ring to salute them, emotions ran high as his father Tony, girlfriend Dee and the rest of his family entered the cage and embraced with the new champion.
As UFC president Dana White wrapped the belt around McGregor, Aldo, the now former champion, cried into a towel. The difference between success and victory in combat sports is only inches, for the meteoric highs that the McGregor family are no doubt enjoying, Jose Aldo and his camp are now deep in a cataclysmic low.
Given the swiftness in which the fight ended, there seems to be a chance of a re-match, a common occurrence when a long serving champion loses in the UFC.
If not, New Jersey’s Frankie Edgar could be McGregor's first challenger for his new belt after his first round victory over Chad Mendes on Friday night opened up the door for a shot at the UFC title.
Edgar, a former lightweight champion, is known as one of the best wrestlers in the sport and will prove a stiff test for McGregor, whose wrestling is considered to be his Achilles heel.
While Irish fans may be hoping that the UFC puts together a much talked about Croke Park event, it seems to make more sense for McGregor to fight once again in Vegas at UFC 200 in July.
UFC 200 serves as the company’s marquee event of 2016 and it seems unimaginable that the sport’s biggest male star would not be on the card alongside its biggest female star, American Ronda Rousey, who has also been pencilled in to appear.
