UFC 246 Fighter Flashback: Conor McGregor arrives in Brazil, rips up Jose Aldo poster in Rio bar

Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone will kick off the 2020 UFC pay-per-view schedule Jan. 18 when they headline UFC 246 in Las Vegas. The fight serves as McGregor’s highly anticipated return to the octagon after 14 months, while Cerrone receives the biggest opportunity of his nearly 14-year career. As part of an occasional series ahead of the matchup, let’s flash back to a memorable McGregor moment when he kicked off the UFC 189 promotional world tour with an appearance in a Rio de Janeiro bar.

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When it was announced the UFC would take Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo on a multi-stop world tour to promote their scheduled UFC featherweight title clash at UFC 189, a few eyebrows were raised. How would the Brazilian fans react to the divisive, trash-talking McGregor when he arrived in Aldo’s home town? While he may not have been universally popular with the Brazilian fans, he certainly found plenty of support in a Rio bar ahead of the first set-piece press conference of the tour.

Amid chaotic scenes in a packed bar, McGregor threw darts at a picture of Aldo before turning to face the packed room, removing his shirt and donning a pair of sunglasses.

Then came the moment that would be replayed countless times as part of the plethora of pre-fight promos ahead of his (subsequently rescheduled) clash with Aldo at UFC 194, as he was handed a poster of the “King of Rio.” McGregor raised the poster aloft for the assembled bar-goers to see, then took it in both hands and slowly tore it in half, roaring with glee as he did so. You can relive the moment in our video above.

It effectively drew the battle lines ahead of a world tour that saw McGregor gain the clear mental edge over an increasingly tired and frustrated Aldo. And, when the pair met inside the octagon at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Dec. 12, 2015, the Irishman had one more ace up his sleeve in the form of a perfectly timed left hand that claimed the most dramatic knockout ever seen inside the octagon. He finished Aldo and snapped the Brazilian’s decade-long winning streak in just 13 seconds.

Now the big-fight anticipation is back. McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) makes his long-awaited return to the octagon at UFC 246 in Las Vegas, where he’ll face off against fellow fan favorite Donald Cerrone (36-13 MMA, 23-10 UFC) on Jan. 18.