Aldo: Spy in Edgar camp claim was made in jest

When now interim featherweight champion Jose Aldo fought former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 200, something was missing. Aldo is one of the most devastating kickers in the sport’s history, but he hardly threw any.

In a recent interview, Aldo offered an explanation – he had a spy in Edgar’s training room, and the spy said Frankie was working on takedowns vs. kicks, so the Brazilian neatly countered the counter by not kicking at all.

Now Aldo says the spy talk was in jest, via Instagram.

“Guys now I’ve become invincible. Nobody can beat me and my spies. ???????????????? Sometimes we aren’t taken seriously, and other times we joke around and get taken too seriously, so… let’s clarify I’ve always fought fair. I got to the top through a lot of hard work- both mine and my team’s. I am a principled person and fighter. My team is renowned for its development of tough, technical fighters but also for our collective character, and that’s what we’ll continue to be known for. I’d never do anything that goes against our principles. I fight clean, I fight fair, and I fight tough.

“When I talked about having spies in Edgar’s camp, it was a reference to a comment MacGregor made before our fight. It was just a jab. Everyone knows you can’t change up your entire strategy on fight week – of course Frankie’s strategy was going to be everything that worked for him in our first fight – it was a no-brainer that he would try the same things.

“As to spies in camp, relax people…my spies are just in your heads. I’m ready for anyone, no spies required. Abraços to all.”

Conor McGregor beat Aldo at UFC 194, taking his title. McGregor has been on an unconventional trip since, moving up to fight lightweight Nick Diaz, at welterweight. That ended up face down, bleeding and tapping.

McGregor has a rematch with Diaz at UFC 202 on August 20 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. And Aldo believes that in order to get his title unification rematch, McGregor has to lose …