Mark Hominick: ‘Featherweight Division Needed Conor McGregor’

“I think Conor McGregor has completely flipped the division upside down, and that’s exactly what it needed. You know like you can see the PPV numbers, the draws, it’s not the same for the 125, to 135, to 145 division. So you need someone with that ‘it’ factor that brings eyes and butts to the seat, and that’s what Conor’s doing. And I think if he was in another division, that division would get that same spike.”

“So I think that’s why everyone’s talking about it, and with that being said I think it helps gather the respect that Aldo deserves. Because you know it’s the same as Mighty Mouse. I think he is one of the best pound for pound fighters and no one even gives him respect because there’s no attention for it, and what Conor’s done for the 145 division not only obviously brings attention to him, but it also brings attention to Jose Aldo the champion, and to see how long his winning streak is, and how good he is.

“So I think it’s good for the whole division, not just Conor.”

“On paper you can’t say that. There’s no way that you could see that he could hang with Jose Aldo. He never fought anybody in the top ten so – I mean I guess with Dustin Porrier he’s a top ten – but he’s had one fight against a guy in the top ten. So to say that he’s ready to take a shot at that title on paper, no.

“But for the attention of these guys and for the division I think he’s earned it, and I think that’s what you have to do. And like I said with when I fought [George] Roop, you have to go out and make statements. Whether it’s with your fighting, or whether it’s with your mouth, but people want to see him fight. So I think he deserves the respect to take that shot. I know there’s guys in line. Like Frankie Edgar deserves that shot more than anybody, but Conor’s definitely got the attention that people are interested in that fight.”