Conor McGregor vs. José Aldo II Rumored for UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden

John Locher/AP
In a bizarre turn of events, McGregor vs. Aldo II could be on the horizon.

It seems to have come from leftfield. A rematch between 2015 foes Conor McGregor and José Aldo is reportedly being targetted by organization brass for UFC 244 this November. According to @TalkMMA on Twitter, the potential rematch between the pair would headline the promotion's latest trip to Madison Square Garden, in a lightweight contest. Former featherweight and lightweight champion McGregor last competed at UFC 229 in October 2018, losing via neck crank to fierce foe Khabib Nurmagomedov in the fourth round of their title clash. Brazilian icon Aldo, is also looking to prevent a second successive loss, after his unanimous decision defeat to perennial 145-pound contender Alexander Volkanovski.

Both men famously met at UFC 194 in December 2015, with McGregor lodging the quickest championship bout knockout of all-time inside just thirteen seconds, to end Aldo's almost ten year undefeated run in both the WEC and the UFC. A memorable war of words between the pair and 'The Notorious' one, in particular, provided the backdrop for the initial clash, but a rumored rematch between the two would contain a wholly different narrative. 

UFC President Dana White clearly outlined how McGregor would not be next in line to face the winner of Khabib vs. Poirier at UFC 242 this September, but explained how the Dubliner has a keen eye on the possible proceedings in Abu Dhabi with the view of acting as a late replacement should either man fail to appear. Recent welterweight uprise Jorge Masvidal has begun campaigning somewhat for a clash with McGregor, which was immediately shut down by the aforementioned White, citing the size discrepancy. It's widely believed longtime contender Tony Ferguson will face the either Nurmagomedov or Poirier, especially given McGregor's current run of form.

You have to look back as far as November 2016, to find Conor McGregor's name amongst the winner's enclosure. Claiming inaugural 'champ champ' footing that night against Eddie Alvarez, McGregor scored a second-round knockout victory, earning him the 155-pound championship. 

Since Aldo's defeat to McGregor four years ago, the Manaus native has been stopped twice by Max Holloway, in between wins over Frankie Edgar, Jeremy Stephens, and Renato Moicano. Approaching his 33rd birthday in September, Aldo has flirted with the notion of retirement in recent years, and the prospect of finally getting one over on his most damning rival may finally present itself. During the UFC 196 fiasco surrounding Rafael dos Anjos' broken metatarsal, Aldo was offered a short-notice rematch with McGregor, which he subsequently turned down. Speaking after the event and McGregor's premier promotion defeat to Nate Diaz, Aldo explained how he doesn't jump in to save an event and how he was carrying out charity work during the timeframe of UFC 196. 

In the grand scheme of things, I personally believe a trilogy clash with Nate Diaz should the Stockton native overcome Anthony Pettis in three weeks time the correct match up to book. Diaz gathers all that momentum he lost during his sabbatical since UFC 202 with a win over former champion Pettis and offers both himself and McGregor a clear path to title contention whomever triumphs.

Requests:markeyross198.RM@gmail.com

➜Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ross_Markey

➜Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RossMarkeyMMA/ - https://www.facebook.com/martialartschat/

➜Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markeymartialarts/?hl=en