Urijah Faber thinks it's hard to predict the winner of the upcoming title unifier between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo at UFC 194, but the 36-year-old is hoping the Irishman walks away with the belt.
Speaking to MMAjunkie Radio (via MMAjunkie's Steven Marrocco), Faber didn't hide his feelings, saying: "Conor winning is f-----g good for the sport. People f-----g love that guy, so I think the big money fights would be with him as champion. So (a McGregor win) makes a lot of sense. But I really like Jose Aldo. It’s kind of a win-win for me."
He elaborated on his answer when he was asked which champion would present the easier bout for his fighters:
Who’s the easier fight for some of my guys? I’ve gotta say Conor is. Aldo’s really, really well-versed with takedown defense. You saw Chad (Mendes) was able to take down Conor at will. So having Conor win is a good thing for the wrestlers in the division and the sport in general. And Jose Aldo is a legend.
Faber, who now fights in the bantamweight division and also trains fighters as part of the Team Alpha Male group, has experience with both. Aldo easily beat him when the two met during their time in the WEC, while McGregor was one of the opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 22.
He told MMAjunkie Radio he has a “good relationship with both guys” and that the outcome of the fight is “up in the air” for him, so it's perhaps a little surprising to hear him speak out so strongly in favour of McGregor.
The 27-year-old has become one of the sport's most popular names in almost no time thanks to his exciting fighting style and brash nature. In many ways, he's almost the polar opposite of Aldo, who has been one of the most respected fighters in the world for years but generally prefers to let his fists do the talking.
The two clashed several times in the lead-up to UFC 189, most notably in Dublin, in front of McGregor's fans:
McGregor was expected to be Aldo's stiffest test in years, and the hype surrounding UFC 189 grew to epic proportions.
Unfortunately, the Brazilian had to withdraw with a rib injury, per ESPN's Brett Okamoto, and instead, McGregor became interim champion by beating Chad Mendes inside two rounds.
As reported by MMAFighting's Dave Doyle, McGregor has since resumed his jabbing at Aldo, claiming the defending champion used the injury as an excuse and “ran” from the fight. With those comments in mind, it's easy to see what Faber means when he says a win by McGregor would be good for the sport.
The Irishman is arrogant and outspoken, but he creates a lot of buzz with his verbals jabs and is an expert at creating anticipation for his fights. He has the talent to back up his words inside the Octagon, and while plenty of people will dislike him for his antics and demeanor, people will always be talking about McGregor as long as he wins.
He also has his clear weaknesses―his takedown defence remains a work in progress―which means all of his fights have the potential for an upset.
Aldo is as close to unbeatable as it gets, which is something some fans may grow weary of, and his fellow fighters would rather have a shot at the belt knowing the talented but flawed McGregor is waiting for them in the Octagon.
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