McGregor, Aldo could meet in Las Vegas

Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight phenom Conor McGregor began promoting his next fight within seconds of dispatching overmatched Dennis Siver in Boston on Sunday night.

As soon as the fight was stopped, McGregor got up off of Siver, turned and raced toward champion Jose Aldo, who was seated in the front row.

McGregor climbed over the cage and began screaming right in Aldo’s face.

The champion just smiled.

“It’s normal to me. He’s just a joke and a court jester to me, so all I do is laugh at him,” Aldo later said in an interview on the Fox Sports 1 postfight show. “I’m not impressed. He called the fight in two minutes and it took more than a round.”

Aldo went on to say he already has a plan in place to deal with McGregor when they step in the cage. That may very well happen at UFC 187 on May 23 in Las Vegas.

McGregor was hoping the fight would be scheduled in a soccer stadium in his native Ireland, but UFC president Dana White said at the news conference on Sunday night that Las Vegas is a more logical landing spot for what is expected to be one of the organization’s biggest fights of the year.

“Were looking at Vegas in May. There’s a lot of obstacles for Croke Park. The time, they have a curfew at night where you can’t get permits to stay out that late and do an event there,” White said. “You lose about 25 to 30 percent on pay per view being in another country. The amount of money on the production for Croke Park, and I can guarantee you it’s going to rain. I’m not a meteorologist, but I bet it’s going to rain. I’m not saying we’re never going to do it, but Vegas for this one.”

McGregor has been vocal about wanting to win the belt in his native country, but he didn’t raise much of an objection.

“The stadium is a dream of mine. A vision of mine. I think the visions are getting there. I said two minutes, I meant two rounds. I’m onto something. But Vegas, I’m happy with Vegas,” McGregor said. “We discussed it. It’s tradition. I remove a head, I bring it backstage and I place it on Mr. (Lorenzo) Fertitta’s and Mr. White’s desk. ‘Here you go, boss, another one done.’ We then discuss big business. And big business just happens to be in Viva Las Vegas. So, we’re going to go get Las Vegas and one more head will be collected.”

Though Aldo has ruled the UFC’s 145-pound division since it was created in 2010, McGregor doesn’t view him much different than any other featherweight.

“I don’t know, I just see a skinny little Brazilian,” he said. “They all seem small to me. It’s hard work making this weight, but I make it correct. I make it professionally. And when I’m in there against these people they’re small. There is no pop. They seem timid. And so looking at (Aldo), he looked like a little skinny Brazilian from the favelas, that was it. Same as Diego (Brandao) looked, with a 12-year-old boy body.

“So, I feel when we collide he will collapse.”

■ JONES SPEAKS — UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones spoke publicly for the first time since it was revealed he had failed a drug test for cocaine a month before his Jan. 3 fight against Daniel Cormier at MGM Grand.

Jones appeared on Fox Sports 1 in an interview that aired late Monday night.

“It’s a really embarrassing situation,” Jones said in a clip released early Monday. “I had to explain to so many people I’m not a cocaine addict by any means, not even a frequent user. I just made a really dumb decision and really got caught with my pants down with this whole situation.”

Jones reportedly left a rehabilitation facility just a day after checking in on the day news of the failed test broke.

He attended the AFC Championship Game on Sunday where his brothers, Chandler of the Patriots and Arthur of the Colts, played against each other.

■ UFC ON FOX — While there is no timetable on when Jones may return to action, he should learn his next opponent on Saturday night.

Anthony Johnson will fight Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of a card in Stockholm that will air live on Fox.

Gustafsson dropped a decision to Jones in September 2013 in what was Jones’ closest fight during his title reign.

The event also features a middleweight bout between Dan Henderson and Gegard Mousasi and a light heavyweight matchup between Phil Davis and Ryan Bader.

■ SHIELDS WINS AGAIN — UFC veteran Jake Shields improved to 2-0 in the World Series of Fighting with a first-round submission of Brian Foster at Planet Hollywood on Saturday night.

Shields has won both of his fights by submission in the first round.

The victory earned Shields the next shot at WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares later this year.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.