The trash talk between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo has been put on hold due to the champion's withdrawal from UFC 189 after suffering a rib fracture during a sparring session. Chad Mendes has stepped in as Aldo's replacement and will battle with Conor McGregor for the interim featherweight championship in the new UFC 189 main event on July 11.

The trash talk has picked up from where it left off last year when the brash Irishman claimed he would 'rest his balls' on Mendes' forehead on UFC's 'Beyond the Octagon' in October. The two re-engaged in a war of words during a heated media conference call last week where Mendes vowed to dominate McGregor on the ground.

Now, in the week leading up to Saturday's featherweight extravaganza, Team Alpha Male leader Urijah Faber has opened fire on McGregor. The former WEC champ sniped at the Dubliner yesterday on Instagram:

Getting close! @chadmendes @ufc #ufc189 A photo posted by Urijah Faber (@urijahfaber) on Jul 5, 2015 at 9:41pm PDT

Faber previously fired shots at McGregor in April when he accused 'The Notorious' of being a quitter. Expect the trash talk to reach boiling point at the UFC 189 pre-fight press conference on Thursday where McGregor and Mendes will field questions from reporters and fans. Join Bloody Elbow for live discussion when the press conference kicks off at 2:00 p.m. EDT on July 9.