Jose Aldo thinks punch that cut Conor McGregor at UFC 194 “would have ripped his head off” had it “connected completely”

“I think it’s normal [that McGregor was respectful after the fight]. Everybody expected that. Like I said, I don’t care, I think about myself and those who I represent. I couldn’t care less what he says or doesn’t say… The fight was one punch only. My punch barely hit but cut him. Imagine if it connected completely, it would have ripped his head off. But he had the merit to connect a good punch and end the fight… Everybody said I rushed when I decided to attack him, that I never did that before. But I already won in seven seconds before, how did I rush now? I went to do something traditional in a fight between a right-handed and a southpaw. I threw a hand in his chest and a cross on top. He had done two attacks before and I went for a normal attack. He had the merit to land a good punch, but I didn’t rush anything or was angry. Everybody said I was too angry. Angry about what? I’m always cool in there. I go in there to do what I trained. I trained that. I threw a hand in his chest and then a cross. I thought about throwing a kick earlier but I thought no, he prepared something for the kick, for sure. I threw a boxing combination, which is normal for those who understand about fighting. He managed to get out and connect a good punch that caught me off base and finished the fight.”

-Jose Aldo talks to media in Brazil about his loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 194 and why he doesn’t think he made any real mistake in the fight (translated by Lucas Rezende at BloodyElbow.com).

Penick’s Analysis: He got caught like he’d never been caught before, and though he certainly left himself open to the counter with a lunging strike, it’s hard to say he necessarily made a mistake. He got caught, he got beat, anything further than that is trying to read to much into a 13 second fight. A rematch may very well come out entirely different, and he’ll eventually have his chance at that fight again, but playing the “what if” game on that UFC 194 bout is entirely inconsequential at this point.

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