Jose Aldo shared his thoughts on Conor McGregor‘s upcoming return to the octagon. Aldo revealed the biggest obstacle McGregor must overcome before his bout with Max Holloway at UFC 329.
There is plenty of excitement surrounding McGregor’s return. His fight with Holloway will mark his first fight in five years. He was initially linked to a bout with Michael Chandler, but the promotion decided to go in another direction.
McGregor and Holloway last fought each other in 2013, where the Irishman earned a unanimous decision victory. Now, they will compete in a rematch, but it will be contested at 170 pounds instead.
Jose Aldo Reveals the Biggest Obstacle Conor McGregor Must Overcome Before UFC 329
Jose Aldo was brutally honest when discussing Conor McGregor’s return after a five-year layoff. He said that it will not be easy and that his former foe must learn to become an athlete again.
McGregor will also be competing for the first time since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier. Additionally, the former two-division UFC champion has explored other opportunities. Because of that, he has not sparred or trained like an active fighter.
Aldo stressed that McGregor’s preparation will be tougher than his actual fight with Holloway.
“The hardest part isn’t even the opponent. It’s becoming an athlete again. Conor’s biggest challenge is getting himself mentally conditioned to train every day again, rediscovering that ambition, and accepting the suffering that comes with a proper camp,” Aldo exclusively told Heavy Sports via Covers.com. “Five years is a very long time. You lose rhythm, speed, timing and conditioning.”
He continued:
“You have to rebuild everything step by step. I think that’s his biggest challenge. After that, making weight shouldn’t be a problem. The fight is at welterweight, and I believe he’ll be fine in that respect.”
Aldo Says McGregor Has the Advantage Over Holloway in Rematch
Aldo also said he believes McGregor has the advantage over Holloway in their rematch at UFC 329. The former featherweight champion has been in the octagon with both fighters and know what they are capable of.
Despite the lengthy layoff, Aldo said ‘The Notorious’ will have the advantage at welterweight. McGregor has experience competing at 170 pounds and gained weight during his recovery from injury. Holloway, meanwhile, has recently made a permanent move to 155 pounds.
“[The fight] completely favors Conor. After the injury and surgery, he put on a lot of weight and became much stronger. Nowadays, he’s far more suited to welterweight. Max Holloway, on the other hand, isn’t a natural welterweight,” Aldo exclusively told Heavy Sports via Covers.com. “You can compare it to his fight against Charles Oliveira. Charles is a genuine lightweight, physically very strong, and he was able to lift and control Max quite comfortably. Weight makes a huge difference.”
He continued:
“I see Conor benefiting from the weight class. But we need to know what his camp has been like. Whether he’s genuinely willing to pay the price again, sacrifice certain things and fully focus on his career,” he said. “Today he’s a global businessman. He has businesses all over the world. He needs to balance that with his career as a fighter.”
Jose Aldo Reveals the Biggest Obstacle Conor McGregor Faces Before UFC 329: Exclusive