UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem calls Conor McGregor “a barking dog” … in a good way

It's not often that being referred to as a "dog" can be a positive thing.

But it sounds like UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem was being complimentary when he explained that Conor McGregor's loudmouth behaviour has gotten into the head of Jose Aldo. Speaking to BloodyElbow, Overeem said: "He's a barking dog and you would say ‘ooh that must be dangerous!' but maybe he bites, maybe he does not. "Still, he's going into that fight as an underdog. Aldo has won all of those years, but still, Conor McGregor is getting into his mind. If he keeps doing that, and I guess he will, then it can be 50-50 when he's not fighting with his brain when he gets emotional. "And Brazilians tend to have that weakness, they get emotional. You can easily get them upset and get them out of their comfort zone. They're clever too and very gifted athletes but they have that emotional thing, which we Europeans also have a little bit of." Overeem is no stranger to big-name fights and is best known as the man who sent Brock Lesnar out of mixed martial arts. The Dutch fighter also knows what he's talking about in terms of Europeans fighting Brazilians as 'The Reem' has taken on legendary fighters Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, Vitor Belfort and Fabricio Werdum throughout a lengthy mixed martial arts career. In terms of who he favours when McGregor meets Aldo for the UFC featherweight title at UFC 189, Overeem is sticking with his fellow European. "Well in that fight I kinda like Conor, even though he's a little bit... on the edge of ‘too much'. And I also like going for the underdog, and that's why (I'm rooting) for Conor McGregor."