Jose Aldo vs Conor McGregor: McGregor's roar to be heard worldwide at UFC 194

The Irishman fights in Las Vegas this Saturday

Conor McGregor (GETTY IMAGES)

It's been an eventful thirty-two months since Conor McGregor unceremoniously announced his arrival to the UFC featherweight division with a one round blitzreig of Marcus Brimage in Stockholm. In the intervening period the proud, quintessential Dubliner has wowed and alienated fans and peers in equal measure. Love or hate the now multi-millionaire former apprentice plumber, the chances are that if you are even remotely interested in mixed martial arts you are impatiently counting down the hours to UFC 194 this Saturday night. In the midst of the biggest UFC fight week in years, the MGM Resort's huge golden lion surveys a bustling strip as Jose Aldo and "The Notorious" prepare for their date with destiny.

Conor McGregor is a ratings magnet. He is well aware of the attention that he generates and seizes upon any opportunity to remind his fellow fighters and employers of this fact. A self described "workhorse" John Kavanagh's star pupil has carried the weight of Pay Per View promotion on his supple shoulders with consummate ease. He has risen to prominence at a speed and ferocity like no-one before him. Sure, Anderson Silva was mesmeric when disposing of Chris Leben in an entire 49 seconds in his Octagon debut but it was years before he was truly understood and lauded by MMA fandom. McGregor's popularity arguably surpasses all others bar perhaps one Georges "Rush" St Pierre but that debate is for another time. The Irish public love a good fight and have taken McGregor to their hearts. At UFC 93 McGregor's friend and stable mate Tom Egan was outgrappled by John Hathaway and many wondered whether Irish fighters were eternally destined for commendable defeat.

Mixed Martial Arts on the island of Ireland like most of Europe was far from mainstream viewing in the early noughties. UFC 72 at Belfast's Odyssey Arena in 2007 saw two talented local fighters perform valiantly but ultimately come up short. I penned the first newspaper published MMA piece in the country a year later.

The sport required a figure head, a home grown talent that would lead the charge towards mainstream acceptance. It would be five years before this transpired.

When I first interviewed Conor McGregor prior to his UFC debut I knew there was something different about him. He explained to me in great detail that if you visualise something frequently enough that it will happen, focus fully on your goals he enthused and they will inevitably materiailize. I didn't as much discount McGregor's grandiose visions as wonder whether the tough realities of the fight game would bring his fascinating predictions to a shuddering halt. A little over a year later I interviewed him in SBG Dublin prior to his demolition of Diego Brandao and realised that this individual's strength of personality and sheer iron clad determination could propel his career to unforeseen heights. It hadn't been mere words and hyperbole.

Words however are perhaps the SBG Ireland standout's most potent weapon. Whilst I found him polite, affable and engaging to speak to its apparent that he is very much the polar opposite to share a cage with. On the regional circuit when relatively few eyes were watching he terrified opponents and made fights personal even if he had never met his foe. It wasn't that he needed a reason to be aggressive and confrontational, he wanted to enter their psyche and usually succeeded to this end. His self belief rattled his adversaries to the point where they doubted themselves and their ability to stem this unique verbal and physical onslaught.

In March of this year in the Beacon Theatre in New York at UFC189's world tour McGregor announced to all and sundry how he would tear Aldo limb from limb. To be frank I was stunned by the tangible aggression in the room towards the UFC's featherweight kingpin. McGregor's articulate charisma had captured not only the Irish public's imagination but fight fans who were enthused by the possibility that Aldo would be forced out of a ten year comfort zone.

And now to Saturday night. Aldo is heralded as one of the all time greats with good reason. Ferocious leg kicks and a refusal to accept defeat have defined his illustrious tenure as the best featherweight on planet earth. Time however waits for no man. Whilst he stands at a relatively young 29 years old the Brazilian dynamo's body clock speaks of countless gym wars and taxing title defences. Sometimes fighters can appear to age in front of your eyes in the white heat of battle and this may be one of those nights. After Matt Hughes surprisingly surrendered his welterweight title to BJ Penn at UFC 46 he spoke of the relief that he had felt that he was no longer champion. Aldo's crown may similarly sit somewhat heavy as we speak. In nature the old and young lion must collide and battle for supremacy. McGregor is meeting Jose Aldo at the right moment. The poster boy of Irish MMA will roar for some time to come.