JOSE ALDO HAS reiterated his desire to leave the UFC, insisting that the prospect of revenge against Conor McGregor won’t be enough to change his mind.
Aldo, who lost the UFC featherweight title to McGregor last December, has been chasing a rematch ever since that first-round knockout at UFC 194 in Las Vegas.
The Brazilian veteran was expecting to face his Irish rival next after he defeated Frankie Edgar in July to win the interim featherweight title. However, he expressed his anger last week when it was announced that McGregor will take on lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez on 12 November instead.
Aldo told Combate on Wednesday that he subsequently wants to be released from his contract because he can no longer trust UFC president Dana White. The 30-year-old added that he intends to retire from mixed martial arts and “follow a career in another sport”, despite having been undefeated for 10 years prior to his loss to McGregor.
The former champion’s threat to walk away has been big news in his native country in recent days, and he told Brazil’s SporTV yesterday that a guarantee of a rematch with McGregor won’t have any impact on his decision.
“No. Not even that because that would be the right thing to happen. This fight is the fight that should happen next in the featherweight division. I conquered that ever since I entered the UFC. I saw other champions losing and fighting right away for the belt. That was the right thing,” said Aldo, who believes he should have been granted an immediate rematch.
“I didn’t fight for the belt. They made me fight for the interim title. I went there and won, and I still have nothing definite. To me, not even a fight with McGregor will do. It’s not about fighting him or not now. I don’t care where he’s going. I want to follow my path. The right thing is for me to be released from my contract.”
Dana White has already said that Aldo won’t be released from his contract, while Andre Pederneiras — Aldo’s coach and manager — says they’re prepared to take the matter to court. Nevertheless, if he is allowed to leave the UFC, Aldo claimed that it won’t be for another MMA promotion.
“If there’s something good the UFC can do, it’s to release me,” Aldo said. “I don’t want to fight for another promotion. I’m at a level above. There’s no reason for me to leave the first division and fight in the second division when I’m well established in the first division.
“That would mean taking a step back. I don’t want to fight for another promotion. I want to follow my way in a different sport, do new things. I’m a young guy and I want to enjoy that side too.”
McGregor, the only man to defeat Aldo in the UFC, will aim to become the first fighter to hold two UFC belts at the same time when he faces Alvarez at UFC 205 in New York. It will be his third consecutive fight outside the featherweight division but the Dubliner has controversially been allowed to retain his status as its champion in the meantime.
Aldo said: “Everybody knows he’s scared to fight me. He knows how dangerous I am for him.”
