Aldo’s coach: McGregor will try to grapple
Andre Pederneiras: “He will try to grapple with Aldo. He doesn’t have an idea who he’s going to fight. He will go for takedowns during the fight.”
Throughout the lead up to UFC 189, Conor McGregor has been adamant that he is a superior striker to Jose Aldo and will knock the champion out. Aldo’s coach however believes that McGregor will want to turn the fight into a grappling match once he starts to feel Aldo’s striking:
“He’s not in Ireland, he’s in Las Vegas, and maybe he got a wizard to change his game. We see how the fighter reacts when he’s under pressure, what he does. That’s something we look at a lot. When he’s under pressure, he will do exactly what he always does.”
Actually, the Carlson Gracie Sr. black belt believes that McGregor — known for his power punching — will actually resort to takedown attempts when the going gets tough on the feet against Aldo. “In my mind, Conor will be the one to become a wrestler,” he insisted.
“I believe McGregor will become a wrestler in the middle of the fight. Where he believes he’s good at, in the middle of the fight he will realize he’s not that good. He will try to grapple with Aldo. He doesn’t have an idea who he’s going to fight. He will go for takedowns during the fight.”