Conor McGregor defends Jose Aldo’s cut to bantamweight: ‘Respect’

Many members of the MMA community feel that former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is making a mistake by dropping down to the bantamweight division. Conor McGregor begs to differ.

I disagree here. He looks more than on top of it in my experienced opinion. Well trimmed in advance, and naturally a lighter man now. This can only be done over a long length of time and with complete dedication. Respect! I wish him well and am excited to see him in this division

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 6, 2019

McGregor, who famously ended Aldo’s featherweight title reign with a 13-second knockout in 2015, chimed in on the Brazilian legend’s bantamweight move on Twitter. He did so after ESPN reporter Ariel Helwani commented on some photos of a slimmed down Aldo, calling one of them “very troubling.”

“I disagree here,” McGregor wrote on Twitter. “He looks more than on top of it in my experienced opinion. Well trimmed in advance, and naturally a lighter man now. This can only be done over a long length of time and with complete dedication. Respect! I wish him well and am excited to see him in this division.”

Jose Aldo’s bantamweight debut is scheduled for UFC 245 on December 14, where he’ll take on former World Series of Fighting champion Marlon Moraes. Part of the reason people worry about his weight cut — and even fear that he’ll hit his mark — is that he was quite large for the featherweight division, which is 10 pounds heavier than bantamweight.

McGregor, however, seems to think Aldo has things well under control. Hopefully he’s right.

McGregor is currently gearing up for his own weight class change. After two fights in the lightweight division, he’s headed back up to welterweight to battle fan favorite contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The pair will collide in the main event of UFC 246 on January 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It’s interesting to hear Conor McGregor offer such praise to Jose Aldo, given the ceaseless trash talk he unleashed on the Brazilian ahead of their 2015 fight.

Do you think Aldo will successfully make the 136-pound limit for his UFC 245 fight with Marlon Moraes?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/6/2019.