Coach: Aldo was offered McGregor rematch, we turned it down
Aldo lost his UFC featherweight title to McGregor at UFC 194 and Dana White offered the rematch at lightweight, but Aldo and his team turned down the offer with the fight only being ten days away.
One of the first guys called to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 196 at Rafael Dos Anjos withdrew was Jose Aldo. Aldo lost his UFC featherweight title to McGregor at UFC 194 and Dana White offered the rematch at lightweight, but Aldo and his team turned down the offer with the fight only being ten days away:
According to a report from Combate and translation from Guilherme Cruz, UFC president Dana White called Pederneiras, explaining to him that lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos was pulling out of his March 5 title defense against Conor McGregor, and asked him if he wanted Aldo to step in as a replacement.
“Dana called me, telling what happened and asking if Aldo was in shape to fight,” Pederneiras said.
“I said he wasn’t and that there wasn’t enough time, and unfortunately he wouldn’t be able to fight next week.”
The report doesn’t give any indication that Pederneiras took the offer to Aldo, directly. There’s little doubt that, after a legendary career of taking on all comers, Aldo wants revenge against McGregor, after the Irishman knocked him out clean in December.