UFC: I'll Knock Out Jose Aldo In 4 Minutes: Conor McGregor

As the long-awaited July 11 fight between featherweight king Jose Aldo and Irishman Conor McGregor draws near in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the level of trash talking from the latter has also risen to another level. McGregor recently told Fox Sports that he will win via knockout within the match's first four minutes.

The 26-year-old McGregor explained his forecast for the match, stating he has no ill feelings toward Aldo. But while the “Notorious One” raised the bar for mind games, it was unclear if the declarations have had any effect on the Brazilian champion.

Nevertheless, McGregor said he is treating the match as just another day at the office. "I don't love anybody, I don't hate anybody either. I have no feelings toward anybody in this game. It's business," McGregor said. "Business has no feelings. For me, it's business and business is good these days."

McGregor’s bravado and wild declarations have captured the attention of the UFC. His personal marketing of the match commenced after he rushed the champion, who was sitting ringside during McGregor's dominating win over Dennis Siver. The behavior prompted Aldo to tag McGregor as the “court jester.”

There was also a belt-grabbing incident in front of his hometown fans in Dublin, Ireland, in which McGregor grabbed the belt from the champion, prompting a brief tug-of-war that necessitated UFC President Dana White’s intervention.

Aldo recently said he cannot guarantee there will be no pre-fight altercation if ever crosses paths with McGregor. The 28-year-old Brazilian even predicted that the pair might tangle Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier style, referring to the fighters who brawled at a pre-fight photo opportunity in September 2014.

The rivalry between McGregor and Aldo will be settled once and for all at UFC 189, which will take place at the MGM Grand arena in Las Vegas. Watch the official trailer for the upcoming bout below:

(YouTube/UFC)