Jose Aldo isn’t convinced a boxing match between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is going to happen.
The UFC featherweight champ recently participated in a media scrum in Rio de Janeiro to share his thoughts on the possible super fight between two of the combat sports world’s biggest stars, and pointed at the UFC for being the biggest roadblock for why the bout may not happen (quotes via MMA Fighting):
“We have a contract with the UFC, every athlete does, and everything has to go through the UFC,” Aldo said. “It’s hard for Mayweather to accept a fight with [McGregor] being a UFC fighter. He does boxing events, so it’s 80 percent for him and 20 percent for the rest. It’s the opposite in the UFC. The UFC makes 80 and athletes make 20. That’s what happens. That’s the real story.
“So it’s not about Conor signing the contract or not, it’s Mayweather accepting to make less, or make his event.”
Aldo’s last loss inside the Octagon was a 13-second knockout at the hands of Conor McGregor back in December of 2015. It was the Brazilian’s first defeat in mixed martial arts (MMA) competition in over a decade.
Now with McGregor in talks to fight Mayweather, Aldo doesn’t think he’ll ever get his shot at redemption against ‘The Notorious One’:
“Never, never,” Aldo said. “I think it was close once. Today, with this fight between the UFC and him, from both sides. The UFC has tried to do this fight, and he didn’t want it. He’s running. He won’t accept it. But we’ll see. I don’t know if this fight happens.
“Like I said, many people talk. But talking in the media is easy. I can come here and say I’m going to fight the boxing world champion, the kickboxing champion. Cool, you will all post this, you’ll be all over the news, create some talk. It might become true, but it never stops being a lie.”
Despite saying he is willing to make the jump up to lightweight for another crack at the Irishman, Aldo no longer is as desperate for the rematch against McGregor as he once was and is only focused on remaining atop the 145-pound division:
“Well, I don’t think about McGregor today. I couldn’t care less what he’s doing,” Aldo said. “Like I said, I want to remain champion, I want big fights. If one day I fight him, great. If not, I’ll continue my life, continue being champion, continue being the same person, fighting and winning. I don’t think about Conor today. I only talk about Conor because you ask. F*ck him.”
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