Jose Aldo: Pre-fight brawl with Conor McGregor 'would be great'

Featherweights Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor are just weeks away from their UFC 189 bout on July 11 at the MGM Grand and the dislike for one another has never been more apparent.

After a cage-side screaming match, a belt-jacking, and some tense moments along the way, the champion, Aldo, has broken away from his normally reserved pre-fight rhetoric and has begun lashing out at the flamboyant Irishman.

And with fight week rapidly approaching, Aldo wants everyone to know that if he and McGregor happen to mix it up during any pre-fight festivities…well, so be it.

"It would be great if there's a brawl," Aldo admitted to media from his gym in Brazil earlier this week. "I hope that happens. That's what people want. I'm paid to beat people up so, if that happens, it would be wonderful. I hope I can beat him up. The fun is over."

After a much-publicized, and very public, brawl between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier in the lobby of the MGM Grand back in 2014, the UFC most assuredly cannot be thrilled with Aldo's comments. The brawl gained national attention for all the wrong reasons, and a scuffle between Aldo and McGregor seems pointless at this juncture – it's not like there isn't interest in the fight.

During a 10-stop world tour in late March to promote their UFC 189 showdown, both fighters had numerous opportunities to speak their mind and relish in the hype. At one stop, in McGregor's hometown of Dublin, the challenger even managed to snatch the UFC belt off the dais in front of Aldo and raise it victoriously over his head.

The display of disrespect nearly set off a fight, as Aldo lunged forward to reclaim his property.

During the tour, both fighters were warned by UFC brass to not engage in any contact, or they risked a hefty fine.

However, now that the tour has concluded, and fight week is quickly approaching, Aldo is more than OK with the possibility of some early contact.

Besides, what is the UFC going to do if they brawl at a media event: cancel the fight?

"We talked about a possible fine during the tour, but it is too expensive, and I couldn't afford getting fined," admitted Aldo. "That was an issue because I couldn't do what I wanted to do. But the fight is around the corner now so we can do something more because nobody will do anything about it. If there is any trash talk, I know what I'm going to do.

He continued, "I already have in my mind what I'm going to do, but it's a secret. It's going to be a different Aldo. There's no fine or suspension anymore. After everything they spent, they won't cancel this fight for anything. I'm sure he will come after me, but I guarantee it's going to be different this time."

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Ryan McKinnell is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports Cagewriter blog. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!