Team Nova Uniao head coach Andre Pederneiras wants a rematch between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.
After a two-fight losing streak courtesy of current UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, Jose Aldo is back on the winning track with an emphatic knockout win over Jeremy Stephens late last month. It also marked Aldo’s first stoppage win in five years.
Now down to the last three fights in his current UFC contract, the former long-time 145-pound champion is looking at a “big fight” at 155-pounds. But if it were up to his coach Andre Pederneiras, a rematch against Conor McGregor would be the next move to make.
“We can try to angle for a rematch, because I really did think it was unfair and I think most people thought it was unfair that there wasn’t a rematch,” Pederneiras told MMAjunkie. “But, as far as Conor goes, he isn’t to blame. He may have turned it down, but the UFC had the power to tell him to fight. And they didn’t.”
“I think the first fight didn’t really represent what the fight could have been – unfortunately for all of those who wanted to see it. So I’d choose Conor. Even though I don’t have anything against him.”
Throughout the build-up of their first fight at UFC 194 in December 2015, “The Notorious” was completely antagonistic against Aldo and even the entire country of Brazil. Pederneiras, however, thinks it is all a front, including the UFC 223 bus rampage that forced the cancellation of six fights in the card.
“I think, behind that ‘artist,’ he’s a good person, who doesn’t represent the things he says,” Pederneiras said of McGregor. “He talks a bunch of crap to get attention and sell. Outside of that, no, he’ll respect you whenever you meet up with him.”
“I think that was that ‘artist,’ the way I see it. He knows he’s going to have to fight (Khabib Nurmagomedov) at some point. Since he knows that, why not start creating some chaos and start promoting it?”
The 31-year-old Aldo also declared recently that he would be retiring after his current contract expires.