FANS OF PRE-UFC Conor McGregor will be very familiar with the name Jim Alers.
For the benefit of those who hadn’t yet boarded the McGregor hype train, here’s the story:
After winning the Cage Warriors featherweight belt in June 2012, McGregor’s first title defence was set to be against Alers in Amman, Jordan, the following September.
A few weeks before the bout, however, McGregor sustained a facial injury during a sparring session and had to withdraw. The contest was then rescheduled for New Year’s Eve in Dublin but this time it was Alers who was forced to pull out with an injury.
Instead, McGregor was catapulted into a lightweight title bout against Ivan Buchinger, who he knocked out in devastating fashion in the first round to earn himself a UFC contract. For the Dubliner, the rest is history.
Alers went on to claim the CWFC featherweight belt that McGregor had relinquished prior to his departure for pastures new. The American successfully defended the strap twice, before being snapped up by the UFC himself.
While McGregor has since clinched the UFC interim featherweight title, Alers has had mixed fortunes in the octagon so far. After defeating Alan Omer in his debut, he was stopped via second-round TKO by Chas Skelly back in February.
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In spite of the fact that their Cage Warriors bout never happened, the rivalry between McGregor and Alers was nevertheless gripping while it lasted. It also marked the true beginning of McGregor’s unique and intriguing media persona, as the pair regularly traded insults in interviews and on Twitter.
There may now be a significant gap between the pair when it comes to their respective places in the hierarchy of the UFC’s featherweight division, but Alers remains confident that a long-awaited clash with McGregor is on the horizon.
“For the longest time it was really frustrating that the fight never went ahead, but I have that ‘everything happens for a reason’ type of attitude. He is doing his thing now and that’s good for him,” Alers told The42.
“We both made it to the UFC; he just excelled a lot faster than I have. But I’ll get to where he’s at. The way I see it is that I’m like the tortoise and he’s the hare: slow and steady wins the race. I’ll come out on top soon.
“I’d take that fight tomorrow if it was given to me. I believe my submission game is even better than it was when Conor and I were supposed to fight. I’m a big believer in jiu-jitsu and, if we ever fight, I’ll show that it’s indeed not dead in MMA.”
A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Alers always felt that his superior grappling would be the key to a win over McGregor, although he admits to being impressed by a more ‘complete’ performance from the Irishman against Chad Mendes at UFC 189.
“Conor is doing everything the right way,” Alers said. “He’s selling fights that everyone wants to see, he’s getting better with every fight and he’s taking full advantage of the opportunity that has been given to him.
“He impressed me with the Mendes fight and had a great gameplan to work the body. He knew Mendes had a short training camp and wouldn’t be in top shape, and that those body shots would slow him down.
“He did have good takedown defence but ultimately he was taken down and put in bad positions a few times. I think he only got up when Mendes went for that choke twice. But he has improved a lot and he’s gained my respect as a complete fighter.”
For now, however, Alers is focused on the considerable ground he’ll need to make up before being in a position to call for such a high-profile fight — starting with UFC Fight Night 77 in Dublin on Saturday, 24 October.
The 28-year-old Florida native is desperate to fight in the Irish capital again, having enjoyed the experience when he defeated Graham Turner at Cage Warriors 63 at The Helix just over 18 months ago.
Jim Alers celebrates after his successful Cage Warriors title defence in Dublin on 31 December, 2013. Dolly ClewDolly Clew
“Fighting in Dublin, I believe, was one of my best performances in my career,” Alers said. “Not just because of my fight camp and preparation, but because of how well I fed off the energy from the crowd.
“I had fans who were booing me and fans who were cheering me on. Either way, I heard noise and I just love that feeling. I love fighting in front of a crowd that gets behind the fight. I want this Dublin fight and I want to show the world what I’m capable of.”
While Alers is keen to compete at UFC Dublin, he has yet to be matched up for the October event. Another featherweight in a similar position is Ireland’s Paul Redmond. If the bout makes sense for the UFC, Alers would be happy to take on his fellow Cage Warriors veteran.
He said: “A few people have asked me about this fight and my answer has been: ‘Sure, I’ll be the bad guy and beat him up in front of his hometown’.
“I’ve got nothing against him but if it’s him and I standing across the octagon from each other that night, I’ll be the one coming out with the win and, most likely, a performance of the night cheque too.”
'I'll come out on top soon' - One of McGregor's oldest foes is keen to renew their rivalry
FANS OF PRE-UFC Conor McGregor will be very familiar with the name Jim Alers.
For the benefit of those who hadn’t yet boarded the McGregor hype train, here’s the story:
After winning the Cage Warriors featherweight belt in June 2012, McGregor’s first title defence was set to be against Alers in Amman, Jordan, the following September.
A few weeks before the bout, however, McGregor sustained a facial injury during a sparring session and had to withdraw. The contest was then rescheduled for New Year’s Eve in Dublin but this time it was Alers who was forced to pull out with an injury.
Instead, McGregor was catapulted into a lightweight title bout against Ivan Buchinger, who he knocked out in devastating fashion in the first round to earn himself a UFC contract. For the Dubliner, the rest is history.
Alers went on to claim the CWFC featherweight belt that McGregor had relinquished prior to his departure for pastures new. The American successfully defended the strap twice, before being snapped up by the UFC himself.
While McGregor has since clinched the UFC interim featherweight title, Alers has had mixed fortunes in the octagon so far. After defeating Alan Omer in his debut, he was stopped via second-round TKO by Chas Skelly back in February.
In spite of the fact that their Cage Warriors bout never happened, the rivalry between McGregor and Alers was nevertheless gripping while it lasted. It also marked the true beginning of McGregor’s unique and intriguing media persona, as the pair regularly traded insults in interviews and on Twitter.
There may now be a significant gap between the pair when it comes to their respective places in the hierarchy of the UFC’s featherweight division, but Alers remains confident that a long-awaited clash with McGregor is on the horizon.
“For the longest time it was really frustrating that the fight never went ahead, but I have that ‘everything happens for a reason’ type of attitude. He is doing his thing now and that’s good for him,” Alers told The42.
“I’d take that fight tomorrow if it was given to me. I believe my submission game is even better than it was when Conor and I were supposed to fight. I’m a big believer in jiu-jitsu and, if we ever fight, I’ll show that it’s indeed not dead in MMA.”
A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Alers always felt that his superior grappling would be the key to a win over McGregor, although he admits to being impressed by a more ‘complete’ performance from the Irishman against Chad Mendes at UFC 189.
“Conor is doing everything the right way,” Alers said. “He’s selling fights that everyone wants to see, he’s getting better with every fight and he’s taking full advantage of the opportunity that has been given to him.
“He impressed me with the Mendes fight and had a great gameplan to work the body. He knew Mendes had a short training camp and wouldn’t be in top shape, and that those body shots would slow him down.
For now, however, Alers is focused on the considerable ground he’ll need to make up before being in a position to call for such a high-profile fight — starting with UFC Fight Night 77 in Dublin on Saturday, 24 October.
The 28-year-old Florida native is desperate to fight in the Irish capital again, having enjoyed the experience when he defeated Graham Turner at Cage Warriors 63 at The Helix just over 18 months ago.
“Fighting in Dublin, I believe, was one of my best performances in my career,” Alers said. “Not just because of my fight camp and preparation, but because of how well I fed off the energy from the crowd.
“I had fans who were booing me and fans who were cheering me on. Either way, I heard noise and I just love that feeling. I love fighting in front of a crowd that gets behind the fight. I want this Dublin fight and I want to show the world what I’m capable of.”
While Alers is keen to compete at UFC Dublin, he has yet to be matched up for the October event. Another featherweight in a similar position is Ireland’s Paul Redmond. If the bout makes sense for the UFC, Alers would be happy to take on his fellow Cage Warriors veteran.
He said: “A few people have asked me about this fight and my answer has been: ‘Sure, I’ll be the bad guy and beat him up in front of his hometown’.
“I’ve got nothing against him but if it’s him and I standing across the octagon from each other that night, I’ll be the one coming out with the win and, most likely, a performance of the night cheque too.”
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