(Angry Jose Aldo looks identical to Happy Jose Aldo)
It’s been a rare, event-less weekend. Despite the lack of fisticuffs, Saturday and Sunday have been packed with quite a bit of mid-level news and fight booking house-keeping matters.
The biggest recent news has been a spat between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. As you’ve likely heard, an Aldo injury forced “postponement” [Ed’s note: LOL] of UFC 176.
Mendes took Aldo to task over this on the MMA Hour, saying:
If Aldo can’t stay healthy and is too fragile to go through a training camp, then I think it is time to step aside and let guys who are able to do that and able to push through all that stuff, to be a champ.
To put it bluntly, Aldo was fucking pissed. He told Combate (translation via MMA Fighting):
Maybe I have so many injuries because I’m not taking the same ‘supplements’ you take. I have injuries because I train a lot to beat you like I did last time, and I think you remember that and still have nightmares about it. I did all the medical exams I had to do, but if you’re a doctor now, I can send them so you can take a look. Maybe you can prescript one of your supplements so I can heal faster.
The one who gets beat up usually runs away from another beating, but you can’t run forever because I’m going after you. Before the cage is closed you can say whatever you want, because once they close it you won’t be able to open your mouth, so keep talking while you have a mouth. And who are you to say where we are going to fight? I don’t think Dana White would be happy to see someone making his decisions.
…
You’re the one who seems to only fight at your home, who desperately doesn’t want to fight in Brazil. I got injured before and my fight with Frankie Edgar was moved from Brazil to Las Vegas. I fought your coach in your home, fought at Mark Hominick’s home in front of 55,000 fans, I fought in Japan and Europe. And now you tell me you want to be the champion? A champion doesn’t choose opponents or where the fight is going to be. And now I ask you, who’s the real pussy?
Harsh words from a harsh man.
In other UFC news:
Michael Johnson is out of his UFC on FOX 12 bout with Josh Thompson due to injury. This is a shame as the two were expected to curtain-jerk the main card and it would’ve been quite an exciting affair. Let’s hope the main event of Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Brown stays intact.
Now, some news on the B-level circuit:
Bellator 123 has a new fight. Pat Curran will defend his featherweight title against Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. This is a fine enough main event for a normal Bellator card. The problem is this isn’t a normal Bellator card. This is the one that’s going head-to-head with a UFC Fight Night Card headlined by Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. If Pitbull-Curran is the best Bellator’s got, they’re going to be slaughtered.
World Series of Fighting, too, has some title news. Lightweight champion Justin Gaethje–who recently defeated Nick Newell at WSOF 11–will defend his title against Melvin Guillard. No date has been announced. We’re amped up for this one. Gaethje is quite talented, and Guillard looked fantastic in his last fight against Gesias Cavalcante.
That’s all for now, Potato Nation. We suggest you make the best of what’s left of your Sunday.