Who’s ever heard of a mixed martial artist competing in boxing?
In fact, it’s all anybody can talk about nowadays following Conor McGregor’s lucrative toe-dip into the world of professional pugilism this past weekend, when he attempted to shock the world by agreeing to a debut against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather.
Mayweather predictably kept his perfect record intact as he stopped the Irishman in the 10th round of their clash in Las Vegas but the curiosity evoked from the meeting of two different worlds has inspired plenty of talk from athletes involved in both sports in relation to potential crossovers.
Two-time former welterweight world champion Andre Berto has encouraged UFC President Dana White to give him a call while reigning UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic continues to bang the drum in the hope of convincing Anthony Joshua to accept a boxing match with him.
Want a more exciting fight? The two best heavyweights in the world. @anthonyfjoshua let's do this. Don't be scared homie!
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) August 27, 2017
And now Jose Aldo is supposedly upping his attempts to swap the Octagon for the ring.
Aldo, who was the victim of McGregor’s most famous knockout to date, has had ambitions of trying his hand at professional boxing for some time and, according to his head coach Andre Pederneiras, the Brazilian is looking to fight out his current UFC contract in order to make that dream a reality.
“He’s training boxing because he has this dream of competing in professional boxing,” Pederneiras told MMA Fighting. “If it was up to him, he’d fight all of his UFC fights (left on the contract) in three months and go box. He wants to box professionally.”
Aldo held the UFC’s 145lbs title for five years before he was unceremoniously put to sleep by ‘The Notorious’ in their long-awaited grudge match at UFC 194 and after claiming the interim featherweight belt with a victory over Frankie Edgar last summer, Aldo came unstuck in a unification bout with Max Holloway.
There has been no indication about what’s next for the 30-year-old but it’s been suggested that a rematch with Cub Swanson could be the first of the four fights remaining on Aldo’s current deal.
“We’re waiting for the UFC,” Pederneiras added. “We’re trying to get this fight done, against Cub Swanson or someone else. He wants to fight (against) someone well ranked, and wait for an opportunity to fight for the belt.”
Aldo previously threw his hat in the ring for a spot on the McGregor vs. Mayweather card and went so far as to propose an opponent but that understandably never came to fruition.
“If it does happen, I want to be in this card, too, boxing. I’ll challenge, I don’t know, Miguel Cotto, something like that,” Aldo said before the summer. “I want to surf this wave as well. If it happens, Dana… Don’t forget me, Joe Carr. Don’t forget me because if it happens I want to fight, brother. We can go for takedowns, too. No problem.”
At the beginning of this year, Aldo revealed that his ultimate career goal was to claim a world title in boxing and, if he is to realise that dream, he’d better get in the ring before his mid-thirties start creeping up on him.
“I respect every boxer, but I want to start from the bottom,” Aldo told MMA Fighting. “I want a career in boxing. That was my biggest dream, to one day become champion in MMA and boxing. That is my biggest dream.”
