Aldo: McGregor was never featherweight champ

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo recently had an extended interview with Ariel Helwani for MMA Fighting. Aldo lost the belt to Conor McGregor via first round KO at UFC 194 on December 12, 2015. When McGregor failed to defend the title, Aldo fought Frankie Edgar for the interim belt. And when McGregor again failed to defend the title, Aldo’s interim belt was made official.

Aldo was asked if he considered himself the real featherweight champion.

“Yes, I consider myself the champion,” replied Aldo. “No, the way that I got the belt doesn’t affect how I view myself. I’ve always been the champion. The champion is the person that defends the belt, not the person that gets the belt and flees the division. I should have gotten an immediate rematch. It was completely warranted and what should have happened. It didn’t happen, though.

“When they gave me Frankie Edgar, I knew that belt wasn’t going to remain the interim belt. I knew Conor wasn’t coming back; everyone knew he wasn’t coming back. That’s the real belt. I’m the one that has defended this belt. I’ve been the king of this division for a long time. I’ve never not seen myself as a champion. I lost a fight. That’s it. I knew that I was going to be the champion of this division and that’s how I still see myself. I’ve always been the champion.”

Aldo was asked if it bothered him that McGregor still calls himself the lightweight and featherweight title holder, and if given McGregor’s popularity, fans may not view his belt as legitimate.

“First of all, I never stopped being the champion,” said Aldo. “When I lost to Conor, he should have rematched me right away. Like I’ve always said and done, the champion is the guy who defends the belt against all challengers. Guys who run from title defenses are not champions. All Conor did was he beat the champion. But he never did what he had to do to become the champion. He’s never been the champion of the featherweight division.

“He’s two-faced. He says a lot of stuff to the press, but behind-the-scenes, he turns down fights left and right. He picks opponents, he picks events. He’s not willing to face challengers the way a champion should be ready to face challengers. That’s not a true champion. He spent a year without defending the belt, so his math doesn’t add up when he says, I was the champion for less than 12 months. He wasn’t the champion at all. He never defended the belt. He wanted to stall an entire division. That’s not being a champion. I’ve never seen Conor as the featherweight champion. He’s not the champion now. I’ve never stopped being the featherweight champion.