Despite an earlier report in the day by Heavy.com that UFC featherweight title holder José Aldo (19-1) was injured, forcing him out of a title fight with Chad Mendes (10-0). Now word has surfaced from Aldo’s management that the UFC’s first featherweight champion is alright.
MMAjunkie.com spoke to Aldo’s manager, Ed Soares, who cleared up the injury rumor.
“Jose is just resting right now and rehabbing a few small lingering injuries. He can’t even resume training until May 30, so he’s just working on getting back to 100 percent. Whether it’s Chad Mendes or any other top contender, Jose is competing against the very best opponents in the world, and he wants ample time to prepare. When you’re the champion, everyone is gunning for you, and it’s important to be 100 percent.”
A bout between the two was mentioned as a possibility by UFC President Dana White, who stated both men could meet as soon as UFC 133 in August, but nothing official ever came of the talk.
In the same report from MMAjunkie.com, Mendes manager, Mike Roberts, told them that his fighter is ready to fight on Aug. 6 and they will simply find a new opponent if Aldo wasn’t ready to defend his title on that date.
Aldo is coming off a five round unanimous decision win over Canadian Mark Hominick at UFC 129 in the co-main event of the promotions first stadium event. The victory marked Aldo’s first UFC title defense, as well as his promotional debut. The bout also earned both fighters a $129,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus.
Mendes is undefeated in his career, a perfect 10-0 at this time. He made his UFC debut last February, earning a unanimous decision over Michihiro Omigawa at UFC 126 in Las Vegas. The ‘Team Alpha Male’ fighter earned four straight victories in the WEC before joining the UFC after the merger.