Jose Aldo: ‘I will always complain’ that I don’t get paid enough

LOS ANGELES — Jose Aldo has been very vocal about his belief that MMA fighters do not get paid enough. Don’t expect that to change with the UFC featherweight champion in a massive main event against Conor McGregor at UFC 189.

“I will always complain,” Aldo said through an interpreter during the UFC 189 World Tour’s LA stop Tuesday. “This is the right that I have. I always want more. I will always want to earn more. This is the right that I have, so I’m going to continue doing this.”

In December, Aldo, who is not typically known for anti-company outbursts, sounded off about fighter compensation during a fan Q&A in Barueri, Brazil.

“We suffer a lot and live to do a show,” Aldo said at the time. “We get paid way less than we deserve. We deliver shows and deserve to get paid more. We practically pay to do this. You deserve to get better paid if you sell the fight.”

Selling a fight has never been Aldo’s strong suit and he has admitted that he would prefer to just get in there and scrap. The Brazilian is one of the best human beings in the world at doing just that. But if nothing else, McGregor, the best talker in the UFC, has proven that combat sports is more than just winning.

The Irishman was asked Tuesday why he and Aldo are going on a worldwide press tour when no one from a stacked UFC 187 (featuring pound-for-pound best fighter Jon Jones) was getting the same treatment. McGregor replied, “You’re looking at him.” And he has a point. That is something Aldo actually appreciates about his opponent.

“It’s great to have a joker like him that calls the attention of all the public to the division,” Aldo said. “So yeah, this is one of the things that I admire on him.”

Aldo, who has held the UFC/WEC title since 2009, doesn’t embrace doing media the way McGregor does. Part of it is the language barrier. But it could also just be a personality thing. Aldo said that being around McGregor for the last few days — with another five cities to go — has been uncomfortable.

“I try not to get close to him, because he’s not a friend of mine,” Aldo said. “But this is my job. But especially with him it’s especially difficult, because he’s a joker. He’s kind of awkward, all the things he talks about me, but this is my job. I have to do this.”

Aldo (25-1) does get that this is good for him, too. He said he wants everyone to see this fight as not only the biggest fight in the history of the featherweight division, but “the UFC’s most important fight.”

“If UFC sees this fight as the biggest of history, I just accept that we really need to promote this,” Aldo said. “I always did promotion for my fights. Never something like this, but I’m happy that we’re doing it, that everybody is seeing this as the hugest fight of all times.”

That will surely equal more money in Aldo’s pocket. Just not enough for his tastes.

LOS ANGELES — Jose Aldo has been very vocal about his belief that MMA fighters do not get paid enough. Don’t expect that to change with the UFC featherweight champion in a massive main event against Conor McGregor at UFC 189.

“I will always complain,” Aldo said through an interpreter during the UFC 189 World Tour’s LA stop Tuesday. “This is the right that I have. I always want more. I will always want to earn more. This is the right that I have, so I’m going to continue doing this.”

In December, Aldo, who is not typically known for anti-company outbursts, sounded off about fighter compensation during a fan Q&A in Barueri, Brazil.

“We suffer a lot and live to do a show,” Aldo said at the time. “We get paid way less than we deserve. We deliver shows and deserve to get paid more. We practically pay to do this. You deserve to get better paid if you sell the fight.”

Selling a fight has never been Aldo’s strong suit and he has admitted that he would prefer to just get in there and scrap. The Brazilian is one of the best human beings in the world at doing just that. But if nothing else, McGregor, the best talker in the UFC, has proven that combat sports is more than just winning.

The Irishman was asked Tuesday why he and Aldo are going on a worldwide press tour when no one from a stacked UFC 187 (featuring pound-for-pound best fighter Jon Jones) was getting the same treatment. McGregor replied, “You’re looking at him.” And he has a point. That is something Aldo actually appreciates about his opponent.

“It’s great to have a joker like him that calls the attention of all the public to the division,” Aldo said. “So yeah, this is one of the things that I admire on him.”

Aldo, who has held the UFC/WEC title since 2009, doesn’t embrace doing media the way McGregor does. Part of it is the language barrier. But it could also just be a personality thing. Aldo said that being around McGregor for the last few days — with another five cities to go — has been uncomfortable.

“I try not to get close to him, because he’s not a friend of mine,” Aldo said. “But this is my job. But especially with him it’s especially difficult, because he’s a joker. He’s kind of awkward, all the things he talks about me, but this is my job. I have to do this.”

Aldo (25-1) does get that this is good for him, too. He said he wants everyone to see this fight as not only the biggest fight in the history of the featherweight division, but “the UFC’s most important fight.”

“If UFC sees this fight as the biggest of history, I just accept that we really need to promote this,” Aldo said. “I always did promotion for my fights. Never something like this, but I’m happy that we’re doing it, that everybody is seeing this as the hugest fight of all times.”

That will surely equal more money in Aldo’s pocket. Just not enough for his tastes.