Despite their contentious history, former featherweight champion Jose Aldo doesn’t see himself fighting Conor McGregor again.
At UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor, the Irishman delivered his most memorable performance against Aldo after more than a year of hyping up the fight with a world tour. When the two champions met in the Octagon, McGregor unified the titles and knocked Aldo out in just 13-seconds. Following the emphatic performance, each fighter headed in vastly different directions.
Initially, it seemed the former featherweight great wanted another shot at McGregor, but after some time, and seeing McGregor move to 155-pounds, the possibility seemed to be waning of the two meeting again. Instead, Aldo decided to make the move down to the bantamweight division, and while some were skeptical about the weight cut, the Brazilian has shown himself to be reinvigorated at the lighter weight class.
Since Aldo has established himself in a new weight class at 34-years old, the former champ simply doesn’t see a rematch with McGregor as a viable possibility. Additionally, Aldo mentioned that he now fights at 135lbs, and as McGregor continues his career at 155-pounds and 170-pounds, the Brazilian legend has gone so far as to say the rematch will “never” happen.
“No, I don’t see myself fighting Conor. Never, I think. I can even say that. It might happen tomorrow, but that’s not the path. I root for him today, I hope he recovers from the injury and fights again at the highest level, and becomes champion again, because that way he and I will always be together. No matter if I’m down and he’s up or the other way around, people will always put out names together, and that way we carry each other up,” Aldo said to Guilherme Cruz with MMA Fighting.
Either way, it seems Aldo is at peace with the idea of never facing the brash Irishman again. In an unlikely series of events, McGregor and Aldo have shown mutual respect to each other while “The Notorious” attacks much of the UFC roster and its broadcast team on social media. After all of his chaotic tweets, even MMA personality and former referee great John McCarthy is doubtful of the superstar’s return to form.
