John Kavanagh admits he’s still “obsessed” with Jose Aldo and “regrets” how Conor McGregor’s 13-second knockout at UFC 194 went.
The Brazilian is undoubtedly one of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, having enjoyed huge early success at the WEC.
. – .
McGregor shocked the world in 13 seconds against Aldo to become UFC featherweight champion
However, his undefeated ten-year reign atop the pound-for-pound list and as the 145-pound division champion came to an end when McGregor met him in 2015.
“The Notorious” systematically destroyed Aldo over the course of nearly two years with his relentless psychological warfare and verbal attacks annoying the champion and causing him to charge.
McGregor, then at the height of his powers, simply threw a left counter-hook while backing up to knock Aldo out in just 13 seconds and propel himself to stardom.
Although he initially struggled to cope with defeat, Aldo is now ranked third in the bantamweight charts and reinvented himself at the age of 35 – much to Kavanagh’s satisfaction.
Sportsfile – .
John Kavanagh took Conor McGregor to the top
He told MMA Fighting, “I’m sure I talked about it a lot back then, but coming back I was a huge fan of WEC.
“And if you’re a WEC fan, you’re obsessed with Aldo. Exactly like he – he was the first one I really saw, a hitting based MMA guy who just broke grapplers.
“So I was trying to learn a lot from what he did. And even going back further than that, his incredible coach ‘Dede’ [Andre Pederneiras], I watched it in the days of pride.
Kavanagh added: “So there was no one who was a bigger fan of this team, and Aldo in particular, than me.
UFC
Kavanagh’s reaction to McGregor’s 13-second knockout says it all
Get the EDGE
talkSPORT EDGE is the free soccer app that lets you stay ahead of your friends with short, to the point, and shareable content.
Stay on top of everything happening in the world of football with the latest news, live scores and in-app betting.
How can I get it?
It is available on iPhone and Android devices.
For iPhone, download talkSPORT EDGE via the App Store here.
For Android, download talkSPORT EDGE via the Play Store here.
“And before that [UFC 194] fight, I spent many sleepless nights watching those leg kicks and ground defense, speed, technique and experience.
“And I kinda regretted the way the fight went, because I would have loved to see the clash of styles and even more exchanges. “
More Stories
Matthew McConaughey didn’t speak to his mother for 8 years after she ‘betrayed’ him for ‘taking advantage of his fame’
Al Pacino wanted Beverly D’Angelo to be the mother of his children
Justice: Facebook on the dock (baton for libra!)