The UFC may be about to lose the most decorated featherweight in the history of the sport.
After six years in the UFC, Jose Aldo is ready to leave. The former featherweight champion is completely fed up with the company following the announcement of Eddie Alvarez vs Conor McGregor as UFC 205’s main event.
Speaking to Brazilian outlet Combate (translation by MMA Fighting), Aldo revealed that he was offered a fight at UFC 205, but it wasn’t the one fight that he has been focused on booking ever since that Celtic Cross connected with his chin after 13 seconds.
“(My coach) had spoken with Sean Shelby Saturday and Sean still had no answer about anything, and asked if I could fight on November 12. My coach said that if it would be Conor, yes, and then Sean asked him if I would fight Max Holloway or Anthony Pettis. ‘Dede’ [Pederneiras] said that for those who I’d rather do a full camp and it could be on December 10.”
After comprehensively beating top 145 lb contender Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 to claim the interim belt, Aldo was fully expecting a title unification bout against the Notorious next, or at the very least, to be promoted to featherweight champion should McGregor refuse to defend his throne again. However, this didn’t transpire.
“We waited until Dana publicly said that he wanted this fight with McGregor to happen. And then we expected it to happen: I’d get my rematch to unify the featherweight belts, or I’d have my belt back and fight Holloway or Pettis, since Dana [White] said all the time that Conor couldn’t keep both belts. But, to my surprise, I heard last night about the fight between McGregor and Eddie Alvarez, which was also denied by Dana last week. And to make it worse, he would keep the featherweight belt, and possibly having two belts at the same time.”
Although Dana White has reassured everyone that McGregor would be forced to give up one of his belts if he wins at UFC 205, after hearing the president go back on his word so many times, Aldo just doesn’t trust him anymore.
“Conor himself said before that he wouldn’t give his belt away by any chance and nobody would take it away from him. After all this, I see I can’t trust any word from president Dana White, and who’s in charge of the promotion now is Conor McGregor.”
“Since I’m not here to be an employee of McGregor, today I ask to cancel my contract with the UFC. When they offered me a fight with Frankie Edgar, Dana said that the winner would challenge McGregor or win the linear title, that he would lose his belt if he didn’t return to the featherweight division after his rematch with Nate Diaz. After being fooled so many times, I don’t feel motivated to fight in the UFC anymore.”
There you have it folks, it appears as though Aldo has burned his bridges and relieved himself all over the ashes.
“I don’t believe in Dana saying that Conor would have to vacate one of the belts after UFC 205 because, based on what we’re seeing, this type of decision is not in his hands anymore, Conor makes the calls now.”
