Aldo explains decision to turn down UFC 196 fight
When Rafael Dos Anjos was injured, Jose Aldo was one of the first fighters called to take his place against Conor McGregor, but Aldo declined. Aldo explained his decision on the MMA Hour.
When Rafael Dos Anjos was injured, Jose Aldo was one of the first fighters called to take his place against Conor McGregor, but Aldo declined. Aldo explained his decision on the MMA Hour:
Make every story count.
Join XP Passport to earn XP as you read and build your martial arts profile.
“Any professional needs time to train,” Aldo told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s The MMA Hour. “It’s not a cockfight where I go there and put my rooster to fight. It’s a high-level sport, I’m going there to do my job. When I have time to train, it can happen at any time, anywhere.”
The UFC has yet to announce when Aldo will be back in action, but the Brazilian says even the UFC agrees he deserves an immediate shot at the featherweight belt when he returns.
“I can’t speak for others, and I don’t care what they say. I know I deserve an immediate rematch,” Aldo said of those who think he should be in a non-title bout next. “People who say I don’t, I don’t care about them. The important is what the UFC thinks and what we think. We came to the conclusion that we’re having an immediate rematch.”
More coverage
UFC Vegas 123 preview: Moicano and Nolan headline a Halloween card where the main event odds have already flipped, and Julian Erosa fights for the last time
Four straight losses, a split from City Kickboxing, and a promise of blood in the sand. The former two-time middleweight champion says he has his motivation back.
