Aldo is still recovering from a broken foot after he defended his UFC title with a TKO win over Chan Sung Jung at UFC 163, and Pettis, the lightweight champion, puts his championship in the line for the first time against Josh Thomson on Dec. 14.
Aldo revealed during Tuesday’s Q&A with the fans in Barueri, Brazil that he asked the UFC to move up to the lightweight division and challenge Pettis. However, according to the 145-pound champion, UFC president Dana White didn’t accept his offer.
“Many people talked about moving up (to 155 pounds), and I’ve asked for that,” Aldo said. “But Andre (Pederneiras, his coach) and Dana (White) said it wasn’t the right moment. Moving up to lightweight is closer and closer. When they think it’s time to move up, I’ll do it no problem.”
“Many fans talked about it, and we’re waiting to do this super fight. But they matched him (against Josh Thomson),” he continued. “If it was up to me it would have already happened at any weight. I’m an employee and I don’t see any problem with that. I wanted (to fight Pettis) at 155 pounds, of course. He has his title and he wouldn’t be able to steal mine (laughs).”
Aldo is ranked number one in the featherweight division since he beat Mike Brown for the WEC title on November 2009 and has said many times he would move up to the 155 division in the future, pending the approval of his manager Andre Pederneiras.
The Brazilian never called out opponents, but changed his style a bit when asked by the fans who he would like to fight next in the UFC.
“I never chose opponents, but I can say one name now, and it’s Pettis, for all the talk that has happened,” he said. “He would be the right person for me to fight today. It would be even better to fight him at lightweight so I wouldn’t need to cut weight (laughs).”
Aldo is still recovering from a broken foot after he defended his UFC title with a TKO win over Chan Sung Jung at UFC 163, and Pettis, the lightweight champion, puts his championship in the line for the first time against Josh Thomson on Dec. 14.
Aldo revealed during Tuesday’s Q&A with the fans in Barueri, Brazil that he asked the UFC to move up to the lightweight division and challenge Pettis. However, according to the 145-pound champion, UFC president Dana White didn’t accept his offer.
“Many people talked about moving up (to 155 pounds), and I’ve asked for that,” Aldo said. “But Andre (Pederneiras, his coach) and Dana (White) said it wasn’t the right moment. Moving up to lightweight is closer and closer. When they think it’s time to move up, I’ll do it no problem.”
“Many fans talked about it, and we’re waiting to do this super fight. But they matched him (against Josh Thomson),” he continued. “If it was up to me it would have already happened at any weight. I’m an employee and I don’t see any problem with that. I wanted (to fight Pettis) at 155 pounds, of course. He has his title and he wouldn’t be able to steal mine (laughs).”
Aldo is ranked number one in the featherweight division since he beat Mike Brown for the WEC title on November 2009 and has said many times he would move up to the 155 division in the future, pending the approval of his manager Andre Pederneiras.
The Brazilian never called out opponents, but changed his style a bit when asked by the fans who he would like to fight next in the UFC.
“I never chose opponents, but I can say one name now, and it’s Pettis, for all the talk that has happened,” he said. “He would be the right person for me to fight today. It would be even better to fight him at lightweight so I wouldn’t need to cut weight (laughs).”
