UFC news 2016: Jose Aldo predicts future for bitter rival Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor[photo: Commons Wikimedia/Andrius Petrucenia]

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion Jose Aldo is seeing a bad future for rival Conor McGregor who is looking to make a historic run this 2016. 

Aldo was beaten by the confident McGregor at UFC 194 in just 13 seconds to record the fastest finish to a title fight in the promotion's history. 

The defeat was Aldo's first and perhaps biggest setback since going on an unbeaten run which began in 2006. 

Before the fight, Aldo and McGregor spent most of their time talking trash to each other while going on tours to promote the card. 

Because of this, their rivalry became one of the most anticipated in the UFC and it was a shocker how it ended. 

After winning the featherweight belt, McGregor quickly eyed the lightweight division and its current champion Rafael Dos Anjos. 

UFC president Dana White granted McGregor's title shot versus Dos Anjos which will happen next month at UFC 196, but the Irish is reportedly again setting his sights in the future, now looking at the welterweight title. 

This means if successful with his aspirations, the 27-year-old fighter will be a champion in three weight divisions, a first in the UFC. 

However, Aldo does not think it is going to be easy for McGregor. Speaking to the media in Brazil last Wednesday, Aldo said, according to SB Nation's MMA Fighting, "I think it's tough. And I'll say this: I don't think he will have any belt by the end of the year. And everyone will forget him. He has this dream, this goal, but you can be sure that he won't have any (belt) by the end of the year."

Aldo is ripping a page off McGregor's book, predicting the future, something that McGregor loves to do especially before his fights. 

It is uncertain when is the rematch between Aldo and McGregor taking place, but with the way things are shaping up, it looks like the wait will be longer before the two go head-to-head again inside the Octagon.