Rogan: Conor vs. Edgar easier sell than vs. Aldo
Joe Rogan: “Frankie Edgar is a way easier sell. Maybe if Aldo comes back and wins in spectacular fashion, like if he and Cub Swanson have a rematch.”
In one of the most riveting fights of the year, in the main event of UFC 196, featherweight champion Conor McGregor lost to lightweight Nate Diaz in a welterweight fight. It was apparently the most lucrative PPV in the league’s history. McGregor’s next fight will be huge, too. But who will it be against?
The leading contenders are Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar.
At the UFC 196 post-fight press conference, UFC president White said he was not sure.
It’s kind of hard not to give Aldo another go, said White then, as transcribed by Uproxx. He’s 10 years undefeated. But he pulls out a lot and he doesn’t show up a lot. Frankie [Edgar] at least gets in there and competes. So, I dunno. I’ll keep my ear to the ground and see who the fans want to see most. What are the fans most interested in.
On a recent JRE, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan said that immediate fan interest in McGregor vs. Edgar is higher than it is for a rematch with Aldo, who fell to ‘Notorious’ in just 13 seconds.
“Frankie Edgar is a way easier sell,” said Rogan, as transcribed by David St. Martin for MMA Fighting. “Maybe if Aldo comes back and wins in spectacular fashion, like if he and Cub Swanson have a rematch. Because Swanson-Aldo went the same way Aldo and McGregor went. Aldo hits him with a flying knee two seconds into the fight cracks him. Aldo has to win again. You could sell [Aldo-McGregor II], but you wouldn’t sell it for as much as if Aldo won.
“When Manny Pacquiao got knocked dead the Floyd Mayweather fight was off. But then he beats Chris Algieri, looks like a f***ing demon again and you go, ‘OK, we can see it again’ and they sold the fight. But if they tried to go right from the Juan Manuel Marquez knockout right into the Floyd Mayweather fight? They would have lost a s***load of money. A fighter has to win.”
“Frankie Edgar is a 48-hour storm. You better have everything strapped down. He’s not going to get tired and he’s going to keep coming at you. He can wrestle his ass off. His footwork is sensational. I think Conor can knock out anybody, but you know what? So can Cub Swanson and he didn’t connect on Frankie. Frankie just wolverine’d him.
“Look at the Chad Mendes fight. Conor had a knee injury coming into it but Chad took him down at will. When Frankie gets you tired… What he did to Cub Swanson was incredible. Frankie’s not a huge draw but it’s a big fight.”
“If Aldo fights Max Holloway, how about that? That’s a f***ing fight. If he looks like the Aldo of old or he gets his ass whooped, one of those guys emerges. Then you’ve got the possibility of Max having a rematch with Conor. He’s the only guy to take Conor to a decision.”
