Sherdog.com’s 2015 Story of the Year

4. The Conor McGregor-Jose Aldo Rivalry

Moments after Conor McGregor finished off an overmatched Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night Boston in January, the brash Irishman left the Octagon to confront reigning featherweight king Jose Aldo at his cageside seat. What followed was an unforgettable scene: McGregor, with a maniacal intensity, screamed triumphantly at his would-be adversary as his eyes bulged. Aldo did not budge or blink, instead offering only a bemused smile in return.

That confrontation laid the foundation for a nearly year-long rivalry that came to a stunning conclusion at UFC 194 on Dec. 12, when McGregor ended Aldo’s reign with a 13-second knockout. Though McGregor had a short night at the office at the year’s biggest event, it took plenty of work to get to that point.

The UFC moved swiftly to capitalize on the heat generated by the two featherweights in Beantown, as the promotion booked an unprecedented 12-city, 10-day press tour to build hype for a summer blockbuster. McGregor did his best to drive Aldo over the edge during the tour, from him telling the Brazilian in his native tongue that he was going to die in Rio de Janeiro to stealing the champion’s belt and holding it aloft to the delight of a rowdy throng in Dublin. It was all great theater, and Aldo, who failed to captivate the masses despite a lengthy winning streak, appeared to have finally found his perfect foil. With such a big promotional push behind it, including an expensive-looking commercial set on the streets of Las Vegas, UFC 189 promised to be the biggest fight card of 2015.

Then disaster struck. Aldo injured his rib in training, which led to a drawn-out “will he or won’t he” saga that ultimately ended with the Nova Uniao star withdrawing from the summer event. Chad Mendes was plugged into Aldo’s spot at UFC 189, but UFC brass was not thrilled with the outcome, as the promotion disputed the severity of the injury all the way up until the Brazilian pulled out.

“It’s [Aldo’s] decision,” UFC President Dana White said. “I don’t feel great about it. We’ve spent a lot of money promoting this fight. A lot of people are excited about the fight, so it’s definitely disappointing.”

As it turned out, McGregor’s second-round technical knockout win over Mendes only served to heighten interest for a future Aldo-McGregor showdown.

“I don’t think there’s anybody anywhere that doesn’t know about Aldo and Conor,” White said at the UFC 189 post-fight press conference. “I think tonight took it to another level. Chad is a badass, legit No. 1 guy in the world; and the only guy he’s ever lost to is Jose Aldo. When you put it all together, it takes that [Aldo-McGregor] fight to a completely different level. We’re gonna spend a ton of money again, but everybody knows [who they are].”

Despite McGregor’s concerns, feigned or otherwise, that his opponent would pull out again, Aldo made it to UFC 194 with a clean bill of health. In the weeks leading up to the bout, “Scarface” even acknowledged the positive aspect of the work that his antagonist put in to promote the fight.

“The guy is working for me,” Aldo said. “He’s basically making me money, so how can I be angry at him? I think he did very good for the weight class, so I’m happy with that.”

Aldo was not nearly as satisfied with what transpired in the Octagon. McGregor’s stock reached an all-time high with his quick victory, dispelling any remaining notions that the Irishman was more style than substance. In the aftermath, the “Notorious” one even had a moment to feel compassion for his vanquished foe, who broke down in tears before calling for an immediate rematch.

“Although it’s a nice feeling to get that knockout, it’s kind of not nice because you can see what’s happening around,” McGregor said. “You don’t want to see the only champion in the company’s history going out like that. I had a little moment where I felt sorry for Jose.”

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