UFC 189: Conor McGregor vows to knock out Jose Aldo

Conor McGregor has promised to knock out Jose Aldo despite the UFC champion's injury concerns.

The featherweight title fight at UFC 189 on July 11 was threatened by news that Aldo has suffered a rib injury in training that could force him out of competition. It was confirmed on Thursday that the fight is still on but Chad Mendes will be drafted into an interim title fight against McGregor if Aldo deteriorates.

But the Irish sensation believes that sore ribs are the least of Aldo's worries ahead of UFC's showpiece scrap at Las Vegas' MGM Grand.

I’ll whip both of them on the same night if need be. So whoever shows up across the Octagon will get beaten.

"I’m going to go for the chin, I want to knock him out,” McGregor told MMA Junkie.

“He doesn’t need to worry about his ribs, and I’m not going to go out and purposely target an area.

“I’m not going to start diving at things. I’m just going to fight my fight. It’s the chin I am hunting.”

McGregor believes he foresaw the chaotic preparation to his world championship opportunity because the Brazilian champion's decade-long undefeated streak has taken its toll.

The 26-year-old insists he will leave Vegas with the title belt whether he faces Aldo as planned, or No 1 featherweight contender Mendes steps into his place at the last minute.

"I predicted this. You can’t go into wars time and time again. The body breaks.

"I’ll be there on July 10 at 145 pounds, and on July 11, I will have a gold belt wrapped around my waist. So everything else means nothing to me.

"I’ll whip both of them on the same night if need be. So whoever shows up across the Octagon will get beaten.”