Conor McGregor’s knockout of Jose Aldo still remains one of the most iconic moments in UFC history. It is a defining event that changed the sport and catapulted McGregor to superstardom.
However, former UFC fighter Derek Brunson recently admitted that the moment still stings, even a decade later. If he had the chance to change the outcome of any fight, he said it would be that one.
Brunson Reflects on McGregor’s Iconic Knockout of Aldo
In 2015, at UFC 194, McGregor squared off against Aldo for the featherweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
As the fight began, Aldo rushed forward. McGregor used the opportunity to land a left hook to the head, knocking out the Brazilian in just 13 seconds to claim the featherweight title. This remains one of the highlights of McGregor’s career.
An X handle posted a question asking, “You can change the result of one UFC fight, what do you do?” The post caught the attention of Brunson, who named Aldo vs. McGregor by sharing a snap from their UFC 194 bout. He captioned it, “This hurt my soul 10 years ago!” adding a crying emoji to emphasize the heartbreak still felt a decade later.
Joe Rogan Breaks Down How McGregor Predicted the Aldo Knockout
On episode #1750 of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Rogan reflected back on McGregor’s knockout of Aldo at UFC 194. He highlighted how on point “The Notorious” had prepared for the exact outcome.
“There’s video of Conor pretending to be Aldo, then him showing what he’s going to do and counter,” Rogan said. “He does the exact move in the dressing room, knowing that that’s going to be the fight.”
Rogan showed pre-fight footage that has circulated over the years, showcasing McGregor mimicking Aldo’s tendencies and practicing the counterpunch for that moment.
He added, “That’s Conor pretending to be Aldo, and this is him, boom. He’s literally saying how it’s going to go down. It’s literally what he did, he practiced it. He predicted it was happening.”
The UFC commentator praised McGregor for accurately studying Aldo’s fighting style to land the counter left hook.
“He knew Aldo’s movements; he had it timed down. He’s much more light on the feet and when Aldo moved in, he times it perfectly. That left hand is a missile.” Rogan added.
McGregor has been out of action since UFC 264. He was scheduled to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 last year but withdrew due to a toe injury. The former two-division UFC champion recently expressed his intention to run for President of Ireland, hinting at retirement from the sport.