The gauntlet was laid down earlier this month, when it was announced that the winner of the Conor McGregor-Jose Aldo fight would join Ronda Rousey on the cover of EA Sports' UFC 2.
Well, McGregor earned his spot on the cover of the upcoming game ... and it only took him 13 seconds to land the coveted spot. McGregor scored a first-punch knockout of Aldo in only 13 seconds Saturday night in Las Vegas, ironically enough, edging Rousey's 14-second record for quickest UFC match set this past February.
"Nobody can take that left-hand shot," McGregor told ESPN after the UFC 194 bout drew 16,516 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and raked in a U.S.-record gate revenue of $10.1 million. "He's powerful and he's fast, but precision beats power, timing beats speed. That's what you saw there."
So, it can be argued that McGregor and Rousey deserve their place on the cover, although Rousey did suffer a pulverizing knockout at the hands — and feet — of Holly Holm in Australia last month.
Still, revered as knockout artists, the cover of UFC 2 looks pretty good with these two sharing the spotlight. Now, skilled gamers will be able to have matches that last well longer than the combined quick work of McGregor and Rousey.
Scheduled for a spring 2016 release on PS4 and Xbox One, UFC 2 touts what EA Sports calls its "Knockout Physics System," which vows to make gamers feel every mixed martial arts (MMA) impact and finish, bringing the jaw-dropping moments that often accompany the UFC to life.
The exact spring release date of the highly-anticipated title hasn't been announced just yet.
