Cole Miller was originally slated to square off against Conor McGregor at the UFC’s event held in Dublin this past Saturday. Disappointingly, a broken hand forced Miller off the card and Diego Brandao stepped in late to to face Conor.
Cole Miller opened up on Sherdog Radio Network to talk about McGregor’s win.
“It’s pretty easy to look good when everything’s made for you to look good,” Miller said. “He got to fight in his home town with all those people there supporting him. He got a full camp of preparation when his opponent didn’t.”
He did make a point to praise Diego Brandao for taking the fight without the time to really prepare.
“I don’t think anyone can really judge Diego. He got in there and like I said, he didn’t get his full camp.”
McGregor’s popularity explosion also was on blast and out in front as a topic of discussion.
“I think when these people are spoon-fed what their opinions should be they start saying the same stuff they’ve already been hearing from the UFC and the brass,” said Miller.
“Absolutely, I think [the UFC is] behind [McGregor]. I don’t think that he’s a bad thing. I’m not saying he’s great for the sport but he’s probably pretty good for the division. I don’t think Jose Aldo is that big of a draw amongst the fighters. Everyone’s always looking for the gold and he’s the best, but I don’t get a good vibe from fans. Nobody really wants to watch Aldo fight.”
“I think that Conor is good for the weight class,” Miller added. “People like him or they don’t like him. Whether they’re going to repeat what Dana’s already said about him, or whether they’re going to develop their own opinion. Like you [Sherdog] said, you don’t think he’s ready for a top five contender yet. I think that’s coming from an educated person who’s been involved in mixed martial arts for over a decade, but these fans are already talking about whether he is or not. That’s something we’ve never seen before.”
One of the best quotes came when he commented on Dana White’s comparison of Conor to UFC Women’s Champion, and mega star Ronda Rousey.
“I did see something where Dana said Conor reminds him of Ronda Rousey. That’s a pretty bold statement. I told my brother they’re both blond. That must be it.”
Only time will tell if Conor can live up to the lofty expectations the fans have placed on him. What do you think?