HOUSTON — Jose Aldo had barely caught his breath after a five-round unanimous decision win over Kenny Florian in a UFC featherweight championship defense when his future was already being decided.
Aldo may need a rest after the grinding fight, but when he’s ready to get back in the cage, he’s likely to be facing unbeaten Chad Mendes, according to UFC president Dana White.
When asked if Mendes was the next No. 1 contender, White agreed, but with a caveat.
“I’m pretty sure, yeah,” he said. “But we’ll see. Maybe Frankie [Edgar] calls me and says he wants to move to 145. We’ll see what happens.”
Edgar, though, made it pretty clear after his fourth-round TKO win over Gray Maynard that a move to featherweight is his ace in the hole, and it’s not a move he plans to make while he still holds the lightweight championship. Unless he has a change of heart, that should clearly leave Mendes in position to try to unseat Aldo.
Mendes is 11-0 after notching an August decision over Rani Yahya, and he told MMA Fighting on Friday that he was hopeful of the matchup.
“I think I match up better than anybody in the division,” he said. “Obviously my standup is nowhere near his. I’m not an idiot. I know that. But, I think with my wrestling credentials, my strength, my athleticism, I don’t think he’s faced anybody like that yet. And for me to get in there, put him on his back and take him out of his comfort zone, I think that’s going to be key to beating a guy like that.”
Aldo moved to 20-1 by beating Florian. The win was his 13th straight.
HOUSTON — Jose Aldo had barely caught his breath after a five-round unanimous decision win over Kenny Florian in a UFC featherweight championship defense when his future was already being decided.
Aldo may need a rest after the grinding fight, but when he’s ready to get back in the cage, he’s likely to be facing unbeaten Chad Mendes, according to UFC president Dana White.
When asked if Mendes was the next No. 1 contender, White agreed, but with a caveat.
“I’m pretty sure, yeah,” he said. “But we’ll see. Maybe Frankie [Edgar] calls me and says he wants to move to 145. We’ll see what happens.”
Edgar, though, made it pretty clear after his fourth-round TKO win over Gray Maynard that a move to featherweight is his ace in the hole, and it’s not a move he plans to make while he still holds the lightweight championship. Unless he has a change of heart, that should clearly leave Mendes in position to try to unseat Aldo.
Mendes is 11-0 after notching an August decision over Rani Yahya, and he told MMA Fighting on Friday that he was hopeful of the matchup.
“I think I match up better than anybody in the division,” he said. “Obviously my standup is nowhere near his. I’m not an idiot. I know that. But, I think with my wrestling credentials, my strength, my athleticism, I don’t think he’s faced anybody like that yet. And for me to get in there, put him on his back and take him out of his comfort zone, I think that’s going to be key to beating a guy like that.”
Aldo moved to 20-1 by beating Florian. The win was his 13th straight.
HOUSTON — Jose Aldo had barely caught his breath after a five-round unanimous decision win over Kenny Florian in a UFC featherweight championship defense when his future was already being decided.