Following a successful title defense against Kenny Florian at UFC 136, Jose Aldo looks forward to his next challenge.
While the UFC featherweight division does lack in competition for the 25-year-old Brazilian, he said he is the champion and expects to face any opponent that is put in front of him.
“I’m the champion, so I’m a target. Everybody watches you, studies you,” Aldo told TATAME.com.
His recent victory over Florian proved why Aldo is regarded as one of the most promising fighters in mixed martial arts and top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. There has been a lot of talk surrounding a potential super-fight between Aldo and UFC lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar, who also retained his title at UFC 136.
Aldo said he is open to the idea of meeting Edgar at a future event, however the Brazilian had one stipulation should the potential bout ever come to fruition.
“Frankie (Edgar) is the lightweight champion, so, if he moves down, no problem,” he said. “Just like Kenny did and others are doing… To me it’s OK. I’ll always fight the guys they point out for me to fight.”
Aldo’s difficulty to cut weight was well-documented prior to his title at UFC 129 against Mark Hominick. It was learned that Aldo had suffered an injury during a training session prior to facing Hominick, which forced him to take antibiotics. As a result, Aldo was visibly much more fatigued than usual.
However, Aldo showed no signs of fatigue against Florian and looks more determined to reign atop the division for years to come. It is expected that Chad Mendes will challenge for the featherweight title but no date has been confirmed yet. In regarding his next title defense, Aldo is willing to face the next challenger however he isn’t too worried or focused on his next bout until he discusses plans with his camp.
“Now I’m just taking some vacancies, so I’m not worried about that,” he said. “I’ll return to the trainings and, in the future, I’ll think about it, but I haven’t thought it through.”
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