UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo isn’t nearly as excited about facing lightweight contender Anthony Pettis as everyone assumed he would be a few weeks ago.
Earlier this month on the heels of Jose Aldo defeating Frankie Edgar to retain his UFC featherweight title, UFC President Dana White revealed that he received a very interesting text message from Anthony Pettis just moments after the fights ended.
Pettis asked to face Aldo next, which meant a move down to 145 pounds despite having already earned the next shot at the lightweight title with his blistering performance over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC on Fox 6 in late January.
Literally just two days later, the UFC made the fight official for August 3 with Anthony Pettis getting the shot at Jose Aldo.
Unfortunately, it appears Aldo isn’t in a giving mood because he’s refused to face Pettis since the fight was proposed to him by UFC officials earlier this month.
“Jose Aldo came out and said ‘There’s no way in hell I’m fighting Pettis,” White revealed when speaking to reporters following the UFC 157 post fight press conference. “He’s absolutely refusing to fight Pettis. Doesn’t think he deserves the shot.”
According to White, he and fellow UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta met with Aldo’s coach and manager Andre Pederneiras while in England at UFC on Fuel 7 last week, and they were admittedly shocked with what they heard.
“Andre Pederneiras was in England and sat down with me and Lorenzo and was like ‘we don’t think he deserves it,'” White stated. “I said ‘What do you mean, you don’t think he deserves it?’ I said ‘Are you out of your f–king mind? Are you serious, did you seriously just ask that question?’ It’s like if Aldo wanted to move up to 155, are we going to say he’s not the No. 1 contender? What are you talking about? Listen, I wouldn’t want to fight Pettis either.”
Needless to say, White and Fertitta were none too pleased with the reaction the got from Aldo’s camp regarding the fight.
What is even more puzzling is the fact that Aldo just fought Frankie Edgar, who had never fought at 145 pounds and was actually coming into their fight off of two straight losses. Something apparently changed however, when the name switched to Anthony Pettis, and Team Aldo wants nothing to do with the fight.
Despite their objections, White is more than confident the fight will come together because Aldo and his team won’t like what happens next, otherwise.
“That fight’s on,” White reiterated. “He’s going to fight Pettis or he’s not going to like how this is going to turn out.”
Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.
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