Conor McGregor: ‘Never say never’ on a potential return to featherweight, rematch with Jose Aldo

Conor McGregor probably hasn’t seen 145 pounds on a scale since Dec. 11, 2015, which was the night before he scored his stunning 13-second knockout over Jose Aldo to become UFC featherweight champion.

In recent years, the Irish superstar has been more concerned with the lightweight division, where he eventually became champion, and now he’s about to fight at welterweight for the third time in the UFC as he prepares to face Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone on Saturday night.

All signs seem to point to McGregor leaving featherweight in his rear view mirror for good but after solidifying himself as one of the best 145-pound fighters in history, he can’t say for certain that he’s done there forever.

“I don’t know. I’m in a great spot not having to cut weight right now,” McGregor said with a laugh when speaking to media on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. “It’s easy for me to say oh yeah, I’ll do it but cutting weight, it’s tough. Like I said, that’s why I had immense respect for Jose [Aldo]. I knew the media was saying he’s cutting too much weight, and this that and the other, but I knew by his physique and his body that he put immense work into that.

“I have an understanding because I know what it feels like. I’ll never say never.”

It’s much the same answer when Aldo’s name was brought up to McGregor again after they engaged in one of the most heated rivalries in the sport prior to their meeting in 2015.

In the aftermath of McGregor’s shocking knockout, he scoffed at Aldo receiving an immediate rematch, and while there have been discussions about possibly putting them back together in fight again, it’s never come to fruition.

While the disdain shared between the fighters has dissipated quite a bit in recent months, McGregor won’t shut down the possibility that he could cross paths with Aldo again in the future.

That said, the former two-division UFC champion was impressed with Aldo’s first showing at bantamweight where he lost a split decision to Marlon Moraes this past December. Aldo is now engaged in a very public war of words with 135-pound champion Henry Cejudo with both hoping to meet in a title fight later this year.

“You never know. Aldo’s coming back at me. Maybe, if he wants it,” McGregor said about the rematch. “I thought he looked very well in his condition and his weight cut. I was very impressed with that. It takes complete discipline and dedication with that. I thought that was a good bout with Marlon.

“I think once [Marlon] switched on with that high kick, it was a comfortable enough fight. I think he switched off at moments that made it close, but I think Aldo was the better fighter. He should have probably won the bout. I wish Jose well. You never know. Maybe down the line.”