McGregor talks to console Aldo after his defeat at UFC 194. Photo: Josh Hedges.
Conor McGregor wasted on provocations in the months that preceded his fight against José Aldo for the UFC featherweight belt. However, after beating the Brazilian in just 13 seconds in the main fight of UFC 194, last Saturday (12), the Irishman changed his tone and preached respect to the now former champion of the 66 kg category.
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“Respect to the great champion that is José Aldo. Great people always overcome adversity. I wish him and his loyal team well on their return journey. Much respect to him”, wrote the new holder of the linear belt on his Instagram account.
McGregor also took the opportunity to remember his long journey to reach the top of the category and thanked his compatriots for the immense support throughout the week in Las Vegas (USA). “To the naked eye it was 13 seconds, but for my team and family it took a lifetime of work to get to those 13 seconds. Thank you to all the fans who traveled and made the last week what it was! The Irish are second to none when it comes to creating the atmosphere we needed. I am forever fascinated by the support of my country. We changed the game forever!”, he highlighted.
At 27 years old, McGregor reached his 19th victory in his professional career, after two defeats. In the UFC alone, the Irishman has six victories, five of which were by knockout. Aldo suffered his second setback in MMA, the first in more than ten years – his last defeat was in November 2005, still at the beginning of his career.
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