Jose Aldo wants a do-over! That man wants a do-over, dang it!
Following the main event of UFC 194, the now-former UFC featherweight champion called for an immediate rematch against the new unified featherweight champion, Conor McGregor.
He said, per MMAFighting.com’s Shaun Al-Shatti: “I think that we need the rematch. It was really not a fight, so I think we need to get back in here.”
Aldo, of course, was knocked out cleanly by Conor McGregor in the long-awaited main event of UFC 194. After 10 seconds of pawing at one another, both men leaped forward into left hands, with McGregor‘s landing a split-second earlier.
The Brazilian crashed to the mat (though his left hand actually landed as well, opening a cut under McGregor‘s eye first) and was finished shortly thereafter by uncontested hammerfists.
The split second poor Jose Aldo’s life changed forever. #UFC194 pic.twitter.com/YB0QCrrxmQ
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) December 13, 2015
The fight officially went down as a knockout via punches at 0:13 of Round 1.
While the loss was undeniably devastating, it’s hard to dismiss Aldo’s requests. Aldo has built a legacy as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, and he owns impressive wins over elite-level competition like Alexandre Franca Nogueira, Urijah Faber, Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes.
In this world where Cain Velasquez can get an immediate rematch following a lopsided loss to Fabricio Werdum after an unremarkable run as champion, it would be an injustice to not give Aldo another crack at the belt.
“I think we need a rematch, and that will be my fight. The trash talking didn’t affect me,” he said per a UFC press release (h/t Daily Mail). “I don’t care what he says. Thanks to everyone watching in Brazil and thank you for the support. I will be back.”
That said, there are more than a few interesting alternatives if the UFC is looking to get out of the Aldo business. Frankie Edgar and Max Holloway both scored huge wins this weekend, and own resumes deserving of a title shot. The UFC’s plans for the new champ will likely become clear over the coming days.
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