JOSE ALDO EXPECTS to eventually receive an opportunity to avenge his loss to Conor McGregor, but the Brazilian veteran isn’t happy about being made to wait for it.
Aldo had been undefeated for 10 years until he was knocked out after just 13 seconds of his UFC featherweight title defence against McGregor at UFC 194 last December.
The 29-year-old has been calling for a rematch ever since, but instead he’ll face another former foe, Frankie Edgar, for an interim 145lbs title at UFC 200 in Las Vegas on 9 July.
Having been the UFC’s only featherweight champion in history before losing to McGregor, Aldo believes his track record should have been enough to secure him an immediate shot at redemption as opposed to a tricky test against Edagr, a man he defeated via unanimous decision in 2013.
“We were a bit frustrated because it wasn’t the fight we wanted,” Aldo said. “I was thinking about fighting for the belt and winning a rematch against Conor. I know I deserve it because of my history and what I’ve done. But what can you do? I’m an employee. I won’t waste time waiting. I have to fight. So this is the next step to regain the belt.”
On the same night that Aldo faces Edgar for a token belt, McGregor’s undisputed featherweight title will remain on ice as he takes on Nate Diaz in a welterweight rematch. Diaz submitted McGregor in the second round of their 170lbs bout last month.
“It’s a shit situation!” Aldo insisted. “Really, that’s what I think. There is no sense, no logic. I have history, I have a long career and I think I deserve more respect. Me, the fans and Edgar too. But we are employees. Nothing I say or do is going to change anything. We just have to accept and fight because our life cannot stop. We make a living out of fighting, others depend on it. So we have to accept, train and win.”
On the back of consecutive outings in another division, there has been plenty of speculation over whether or not Conor McGregor will return to 145lbs to finally defend his title. Last week, UFC president Dana White said the Irish star’s next fight after facing Diaz — regardless of the outcome — will be a title bout against the winner of Aldo-Edgar.
Aldo: “There’s no way [McGregor] won’t come back. I want to see what they’ll do after this fight. First, I have to think about Frankie Edgar and win my fight. But this is the fight. There’s no way we don’t fight again. I hope he comes back because he’ll have to defend the belt anyway.”
H/T: UFC.com
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