It’s been revealed that Jose Aldo will not be the man to step in and take Rafael dos Anjos‘ place opposite Conor McGregor at UFC 196 after his coach asserted the fighter isn’t in any shape to take a rematch.
Aldo’s coach and manager, Andre Pederneiras, spoke to Brazilian outlet Combate after it was announced Dos Anjos had broken his foot 11 days prior to his scheduled meeting against The Notorious, per MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.
He said, per Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting: “Dana [White] called me, telling what happened and asking if Aldo was in shape to fight. I said he wasn’t and that there wasn’t enough time, and unfortunately he wouldn’t be able to fight next week.”
It was, of course, Aldo who McGregor defeated at UFC 194, stopping the former featherweight champion in 13 seconds. According to Cruz, Scarface would only return to the Octagon for a title fight, and a rematch with McGregor is reportedly on his agenda for the future.
As far as replacements go, the UFC could have done a lot worse than a rematch between Aldo and McGregor, a fixture some feel still has questions unanswered following their first bout.
Earlier on Tuesday, Fox Sports commentator Jon Anik spoke of his interest at seeing a second fight between the pair, one which would hopefully last more than 13 seconds this time around:
There was also a sense of deja vu involving Aldo; it was only 12 days prior to their scheduled bout at UFC 189 that he pulled out due to a broken rib, and this time, it was compatriot Dos Anjos bowing out a similar time from the date.
Dos Anjos’ exit from the card marks the fourth time in McGregor’s eight UFC fights he’s faced a different opponent than the one originally scheduled, provided he still fights at UFC 196.
True to style, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone was quick to register his interest in taking Dos Anjos’ place in the fight, according to FoxSports.com’s Damon Martin, and his manager, Josh Jones, has already contacted the UFC.
The UFC’s options regarding who to elect as a Dos Anjos replacement are limited, especially with featherweight contender Frankie Edgar currently injured—the man who would appear next most likely to take the spot.
Former UFC fighter and McGregor’s compatriot, Cathal Pendred, ran through some of the other likely contenders to step up to the plate, with Nate Diaz and Cerrone the most viable candidates:
We may one day see McGregor and Aldo do battle once again, but it isn’t likely to come about until Notorious feels he’s had his fill of whatever other challenges lie on his horizon.
For now, McGregor and the mixed-martial arts community as a whole waits to discover the identity of his UFC 196 opponent.
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