While Jose Aldo might not be the most popular MMA fighter to come out of Brazil in terms of celebrity status, he'll have his whole country behind him naturally.

And not just because they share a passport with him but also because his featherweight rival Conor McGregor is not exactly to their taste with his penchant for trash-talking.

"Most of the Brazilians don't like him at all. They don't like what he says," MMA Fighting.com's Guilherme Cruz told me from the other end of the line in Rio de Janeiro.

"People there who really follow MMA and enjoy martial arts in Brazil, they have that aura of respect. You have to respect your opponent even if you don't like him or hate him. You have to have respect for him. They know Conor is a great fighter and is a big challenger to Jose Aldo but they don't like how he approaches the fights. They don't like how he is being disrespectful."

Be that as it may, the fight is the real be all and end all and while Guilherme thinks McGregor is capable of winning, he thinks long-time UFC featherweight champ Aldo has the edge.

"I believe he has what it takes to beat Jose Aldo. He can go [to Las Vegas] and take this belt from Jose Aldo. If I had to put my money on it, I would bet on Jose Aldo. But I know that Conor is a great fighter. He has good technique standing, he has good ju-jitsu and he's not an easy fighter to be taken down.

"He was taken down by Chad Mendes but it was a different situation. He was injured and took this fight on short notice and hadn't trained for a wrestler like Chad Mendes. So I think he can go there and beat Jose Aldo and I don't think it will be an easy win for Aldo, even though I think he is going to win."  

Guilherme also detailed Aldo's ground game ahead of Saturday night's fight: