Aldo: UFC, media should treat fighters better
Jose Aldo: “We should be treated better. Not only by the UFC but also by media. We are well treated by the fans. We make a lot less money than we should.”
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo on Friday once again expressed frustration with UFC pay, this time at a Q&A in Barueri, Brazil.
“The athlete is not treated like he deserves,” said Aldo as translated by Guilherme Cruz for MMAFighting. “We deserve better,. I’m not speaking only about the UFC, but about the media as well. The fans treat us really well. We suffer a lot and live to do a show. We get paid way less than we deserve. We deliver shows and deserve to get paid more. We practically pay to do this. You deserve to get better paid if you sell the fight.”
“To get closer to boxing is complicated, but it would be great. Boxing is in the culture around the world for a long time, while the UFC is new and is still growing. I think it’s hard to get closer to what boxing pays their athletes, but we work for that. If they do get closer one day, I think I’ll be retired already.”
Aldo also expressed a willingness to fight UFC 135 pound champion, Team Alpha Male’s TJ Dillashaw.
“I wanna fight Aldo so bad, dude,” said Dillashaw recently. “I will beat Aldo.”
Aldo, who hold victories over Team Alpha Male stars Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes, responded with a laugh.
“I would love to,” he said. “I really hope that fight happens, it would be great … I think he’s trying to promote himself, that’s why he’s saying that. I would love to beat him up. It would be great to end my story with those three with a flourish.”
Aldo said his fight he wants now is with Conor McGregor.
“I hope he’s next because it would be a huge fight,” said Aldo. “He’s a tough fighter, but we haven’t seen him against a top five. He’s not ready, but the promotion he does is good. He’s a good athlete. He talks a lot. If he doesn’t talk that much, he wouldn’t be where he is today.”
Read entire article… (original Portuguese