HE MAY BE the underdog in the eyes of the bookmakers but reigning champion Jose Aldo will reaffirm his status as the best featherweight fighter in the world this weekend at UFC 194.
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That’s according to UFC veteran Urijah Faber, who faces Frankie Saenz tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden on the preliminary card of Aldo’s featherweight title unification bout against interim title-holder Conor McGregor.
Faber, a former WEC featherweight champion and UFC bantamweight title challenger, was comprehensively defeated by Aldo in a five-rounder back in 2010.
The 36-year-old Californian, who recently coached against Conor McGregor on The Ultimate Fighter, also watched on at UFC 189 as McGregor defeated his team-mate Chad Mendes.
When asked for his thoughts on the outcome of tomorrow night’s eagerly-anticipated fight, Faber admitted that while it’s a tough one to call, Aldo’s superior wrestling and jiu-jitsu could be the key to him making a 10th successful world title defence.
“I think Conor and Aldo are both extremely tough dudes, but they also have plenty of self-belief, which counts for a lot. So I think it’s ultimately going to be decided by who is the more skilled fighter,” said Faber.
“Conor’s a huge guy for that weight-class, he’s got a lot of power and he’s very skilled. But you can say all of those things about Aldo also.
“However, looking at all the areas of the game, I think Aldo is probably a little more seasoned. His jiu-jitsu is more decorated and accomplished and he’s a better wrestler. It’s going to be extremely close but I think that’s what could make the difference.”
Urijah Faber explains why he's favouring Aldo over McGregor at UFC 194
– Paul Dollery reports from Las Vegas
HE MAY BE the underdog in the eyes of the bookmakers but reigning champion Jose Aldo will reaffirm his status as the best featherweight fighter in the world this weekend at UFC 194.
That’s according to UFC veteran Urijah Faber, who faces Frankie Saenz tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden on the preliminary card of Aldo’s featherweight title unification bout against interim title-holder Conor McGregor.
Faber, a former WEC featherweight champion and UFC bantamweight title challenger, was comprehensively defeated by Aldo in a five-rounder back in 2010.
The 36-year-old Californian, who recently coached against Conor McGregor on The Ultimate Fighter, also watched on at UFC 189 as McGregor defeated his team-mate Chad Mendes.
When asked for his thoughts on the outcome of tomorrow night’s eagerly-anticipated fight, Faber admitted that while it’s a tough one to call, Aldo’s superior wrestling and jiu-jitsu could be the key to him making a 10th successful world title defence.
“I think Conor and Aldo are both extremely tough dudes, but they also have plenty of self-belief, which counts for a lot. So I think it’s ultimately going to be decided by who is the more skilled fighter,” said Faber.
“However, looking at all the areas of the game, I think Aldo is probably a little more seasoned. His jiu-jitsu is more decorated and accomplished and he’s a better wrestler. It’s going to be extremely close but I think that’s what could make the difference.”
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Conor McGregor Jose Aldo Las Vegas MGM Grand mixed martial arts MMA PREDICTION UFC UFC 194 Ultimate Fighting Championship Urijah Faber