Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor finally collide in cage at UFC 194

This is just a slight advantage over Aldo at -110, but with the giant Irish population in Las Vegas for UFC 194, expect the lines to shift even more in McGregor’s favor.

Aldo has fight-altering kicking skills, and White believes the Brazilian will aim to shoot at McGregor for a takedown that could lead to a submission.

Irish fans interrupted the Brazilian pound-for-pound phenom’s brief question and answers session with jibes about the injury which ruled him out of the original date for this showdown in July. You have an athlete, who does everything he can to make sure people don’t know when, where, how to get tickets, where the PPV is…

When McGregor emerged an hour later for a much more thorough run-through, he was saluted and serenaded. He doesn’t want to be there.

He shared Weidman’s sentiment that his fight was being overshadowed by Aldo/McGregor and said, “I train with champs”.

Aldo says little, inflammatory or otherwise, which only adds to the contrast between the men and the intrigue of the clash, which promises to be the UFC’s showpiece of the year. He’s going to come with his strategy, and I’ll do the same, and we’ll see who has the best strategy. “He can not wait for this to be over”.

“Respect for me is earned through battle”.

You can weigh those attributes out as you see fit, but in a fight like this unpredictability is everything. A man that has ran? “Jose’s too much of a professional to walk in there [upset]: ‘I want to take this guy’s head off!’ It [might] be something that Conor does in the octagon to get [Aldo] upset”.

McGregor, the interim featherweight champion, danced from one side of the stage alongside other with his movement coach, Ido Portal.

McGregor abandoned his usual flashy style, ditching his customary suit, sunglasses and one-liners and appearing totally at peace with all the pre-fight build and excitement in Las Vegas this week. Having seen one juggernaut stopped in its tracks when Ronda Rousey was knocked out by Holly Holm last month, a McGregor defeat would see another star lose some of their sparkle. “I can’t see his face or his body at the beginning of the second round”.

McGregor treated his supporters, vastly increased from the previous day as tricolour-clad fans streamed into Sin City ahead of the Saturday night unification bout, to an intense public workout at the MGM Grand on Thursday.

When pressed as to whether the current financial rewards he’s reaping are sufficient, McGregor insisted he’s happy with his current deal with the UFC.

“I don’t feel like an employee”. I feel like a business associate. Tell me, Spencer, where is this fight decided?

‘I held the title at lightweight and I’ve been knocking on the door at 145lb for a while now and I feel I’m one fight away from that. I would love freedom to pick and choose my fights of course – while you’re young, fresh and healthy.