The UFC’s most anticipated fight of a loaded summer is finally coming in a little over two weeks, and the buzz around it mirrors that. It has maintained its position in the minds of fans and the news since its world tour ended in March. UFC 189: Aldo vs McGregor will take place on July 11th, and the world will be watching. However, the latest news of a Jose Aldo injury has me worried about the potential implications it can have on the match.
Aldo, McGregor, MMA, All Need the UFC 189 Hype
This is a fight that MMA and therefore the UFC seemingly needs. For one, this fight seems to be one of the rare ones that is transcending the MMA sphere into the mainstream media. That means that it has the potential to be a big payday for everybody involved.
It could also mean non or casual MMA fans will be watching, providing an opportunity to convince these fans to stick around for more events if the fight delivers.
Lastly, the buzz around this title match can provide a much needed boost in popularity for whoever walks out victorious. If Conor McGregor comes out on top, he already has the previously mentioned charisma to gain a loyal fan base — or a large group of fans who want to see him lose, which is the same thing in terms of views — and his coming out party as an elite champion would be in front of as large an audience as possible.
Jose Aldo, on the other hand, is one of the UFC’s most dominant champions in history, and yet has struggled with becoming a big pay-per-view draw. He has a hard time selling his fights with anything other than his incredible highlight reel. This fight provides a large amount of fresh eyeballs due to McGregor’s talking, who can be convinced to tune in for future Aldo fights based on his performance. This fight could be the one that finally makes Aldo the star he deserves to be, which would be greatly beneficial to the UFC. What I am trying to say here, is that this fight is a big deal.
The Injury Feels Like the World is Falling Apart
The entire MMA community was put through an extensive period of worry and anxiety recently when it was revealed that featherweight champion Jose Aldo had injured his ribs while training, and could possibly pull out of his title fight with charismatic challenger Conor McGregor. This rumor-infested, two day period culminated with the ‘relieving’ news that Aldo ‘only’ bruised his ribs instead of fracturing one. Due to this, he is more than likely to fight on July 11th, and Chad Mendes only exists in the equation as an emergency back up plan to take on McGregor should Aldo be unable to compete.
In the end, I can’t help but consider how much this injury may have damaged the fight. The worst part is that you can’t really blame anyone for it. The reason we tune in to watch sporting events is because we want to see who the better team or athlete is. We debate over who we think will win beforehand, analyse why we think the fight or contest will go down the way we envision it, use the narratives present leading up to it to get excited about it, and then ultimately get to sit back and witness the payoff.
The injury has put McGregor in a lose-lose situation. If Aldo retains in two weeks, he will look more dominant than ever for winning despite his injury. McGregor’s image will be greatly damaged. Who will believe in McGregor’s ability to rise back into title contention and actually claim the belt in the future of his young career if he couldn’t get it done despite Aldo coming in injured?
If McGregor wins, his achievement will be placed with an asterisks with the notion that he only won due to Aldo’s injury. The UFC may benefit in this circumstance as it would most likely lead to a big money rematch, but they have already said they will do a rematch if McGregor wins anyway.
MMA History Has a Way of Repeating Itself
You don’t have to think too far back to find an example of this. A little less than two weeks ago, former two time UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez returned from an almost two year layoff to defend his title against interim champion Fabricio Werdum.
Velasquez had barely finished tapping to Werdum’s third round guillotine when people began arguing that Velasquez had only lost because of his layoff and inability to adjust to the high altitude in Mexico. Yes, people are now discussing whether or not Werdum is the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time, but just as many people are downplaying his latest achievement due to what they consider were disadvantages for Velasquez.
As much as it sucks for Werdum, I can’t really blame those people. If Werdum and Velasquez were to fight again in Las Vegas, I would probably pick Velasquez as well. It’s not that Werdum wasn’t incredibly impressive, because he was. It’s not that he didn’t earn it, because he did. It’s just that his win is sort of tainted for reasons he cannot control.
The success of UFC 189’s main event is tied to the success of the company displaying it, both in the long and short term of the organization. Both fighters involved need this fight more than they will admit. The hype for this contest is enormous, and I still think it will be a successful showing. I even think it will crack a million buys.
Fans want this fight for its stylistic intrigue, its pre-fight narratives, its potential to be a great fight, and its promise to create a true star in a sport that needs some. But it is impossible to ignore the fact that this fight has lost at least a little bit of heat due to the very real possibility that Jose Aldo will not be fully healthy when he walks into the octagon with Conor McGregor at UFC 189. It sucks, and its not fair, but that’s just the way things are.
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