Tag: Andre Pederneiras

Aldo’s Manager: Conor McGregor Will Lose To Nate Diaz Again

This week, news arrived that the rumored Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor welterweight rematch was confirmed for the main event of July 9’s blockbuster UFC 200 card from the all-new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. A bit more surprising, however, was that longtime former featherweight champion Jose Aldo will face Frankie Edgar for the

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This week, news arrived that the rumored Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor welterweight rematch was confirmed for the main event of July 9’s blockbuster UFC 200 card from the all-new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A bit more surprising, however, was that longtime former featherweight champion Jose Aldo will face Frankie Edgar for the interim title to decide the next challenger for McGregor’s 145-pound belt, which will inauspiciously sit on the pine while the Irishman sorts out his differences with Diaz at 170 pounds.

After Aldo and Edgar campaigned fervently for the match-up with McGregor after he lost to Diaz by submission at March’s UFC 196, the belt remained stagnant when a rematch that many feel is beyond unnecessary was made a reality. Aldo and his team aren’t exactly happy about it, but his longtime manager and coach Andre Pederneiras recently spoke to MMA Fighting about his star pupil’s mindset heading into the interim rematch with ‘The Answer’:

“We were expecting the fight with Conor, but we can’t live to mourn. Aldo has a date and a fight booked, and it’s for the interim belt, so let’s work to win this title and fight Conor again.”

ufc featherweight champion

Aldo, who lost his title in a shocking 13 seconds to McGregor last year, famously outlasted Edgar by decision in a heated match at 2013’s UFC 156, a bout where ‘Junior’ controlled much of the early action with his trademark low kicks before Edgar bounced back with a late push. Regardless of the result there, Pederneiras believes both fighters have changed and it will be quite the different affair:

“Both fighters have evolved a lot (since UFC 156),” he added. “It’s going to be interesting to see how they both prepare for each other in this new fight.”

Pederneiras did reaffirm his belief that Aldo should be fighting for the true featherweight title right now, but the Nova Uniao head man also seemed to be at peace with the interim championship up for grabs:

“Of course! Our goal is the title. Like we made clear previously, we would only fight for the title, and that’s what’s happening now.

Moving on to one of the many topics of the hour in MMA this week, Pederneiras touched on the pending Diaz vs. McGregor match.

Read on to the next page to find out his thoughts on the controversial rematch…..

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Jose Aldo’s Coach: Conor McGregor Should Be Stripped Of Featherweight Title

Jose Aldo unfortunately put forth what was by far the worst performance of his legendary mixed martial arts (MMA) career when Irish megastar Conor McGregor knocked him out with one fateful left hand in the main event of December 12s UFC 194 from Las Vegas.   However, apart from the surprisingly swift nature of his

The post Jose Aldo’s Coach: Conor McGregor Should Be Stripped Of Featherweight Title appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Jose Aldo unfortunately put forth what was by far the worst performance of his legendary mixed martial arts (MMA) career when Irish megastar Conor McGregor knocked him out with one fateful left hand in the main event of December 12s UFC 194 from Las Vegas.

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However, apart from the surprisingly swift nature of his loss, Aldo simply won’t accept any other fight except for a rematch or some form of championship bout. The decorated former champion was undefeated for an unprecedented 10 years, and based on those merits, he told Irish site Independent.ie that the plan was for him to rematch McGregor, so he won’t take another bout unless it’s for the belt:

“That was the idea [re-match] when the fight was over. If someone asks me what I want, it’s the rematch, of course. I don’t see another fight for me besides a title fight or a rematch.”

While it could be quite some time before McGregor defends his featherweight belt given that he’s moved up to lightweight to take on champion Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of March 5’s UFC 197, Aldo could also be slated for a rematch for the title with Frankie Edgar if the ‘Notorious’ decides to stay put at 155.

In pics: Conor McGregor and UFC champion Jose Aldo in Dublin ...

The whole situation of allowing McGregor to hold onto the featherweight belt and fight for another title a weight class up has never been allowed in the UFC up until now, and Aldo’s head coach and longtime trainer Andre Pederneiras is understandably upset by it.

Jump to the next page to find out how Nova Uniao’s headman blasted the UFC….

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Jose Aldo Admits That He Shoved Chad Mendes Just to Hype Their Fight [NO DOY]


(“Okay, forget the shoving thing, I’ve got a better way to promote us. Have you ever seen the music videos of this man Weird Al?” / Photo by Leandro Lima)

In a regrettable instance of an MMA fighter breaking kayfabe, UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo went on record yesterday saying that his unsolicited shove of Chad Mendes earlier this week was only done to hype their fight. I know, I know…ShockedJohnCena.gif.

Here’s what Aldo said to local media (via MMAFighting), following a faceoff with Mendes in Sao Paulo on Wednesday that did not result in shoving:

“We were talking to Andre (Pederneiras) in a meeting about how we could improve our fight promotions. It’s part of the show. But I told Andre after (the staredown) that it’s not my style,” Aldo said. “It was not staged, we were talking (trash) to each other and it happened. … We (Aldo and Pederneiras) tried to spice things up, but that’s it…

“I’ve never pushed anyone during a staredown before,” he said. “I should behave better. I’m not saying I regret it. We did it, it was good. There was a good thing about it that people are now talking about it, but it’s not who I am. It won’t happen again.”


(“Okay, forget the shoving thing, I’ve got a better way to promote us. Have you ever seen the music videos of this man Weird Al?” / Photo by Leandro Lima)

In a regrettable instance of an MMA fighter breaking kayfabe, UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo went on record yesterday saying that his unsolicited shove of Chad Mendes earlier this week was only done to hype their fight. I know, I know…ShockedJohnCena.gif.

Here’s what Aldo said to local media (via MMAFighting), following a faceoff with Mendes in Sao Paulo on Wednesday that did not result in shoving:

“We were talking to Andre (Pederneiras) in a meeting about how we could improve our fight promotions. It’s part of the show. But I told Andre after (the staredown) that it’s not my style,” Aldo said. “It was not staged, we were talking (trash) to each other and it happened. … We (Aldo and Pederneiras) tried to spice things up, but that’s it…

“I’ve never pushed anyone during a staredown before,” he said. “I should behave better. I’m not saying I regret it. We did it, it was good. There was a good thing about it that people are now talking about it, but it’s not who I am. It won’t happen again.”

Oh, people are talking about it, all right. Mainly, they’re talking about how clearly pre-meditated the shove was — and how rivalries only generate fan-interest if they appear genuine. But obvious fakery aside, it’s still a poor promotional strategy for Aldo to tell everybody that his shove was all part of the show, before the show even happened. Because whatever small amount of heat that Aldo created when he put his hands on Chad Mendes has now been exterminated like the proverbial hemorrhoid pad on a matchstick.

Bottom line: If you’re going to pretend to hate your opponent, at least commit to the role for more than a day. Otherwise, you have nothing to look forward to but more disappointing buyrates.

Jose Aldo’s Coach Suggests Meaningless Non-Title Catchweight Fight Against Anthony Pettis


(“Tell you what…if Pettis wins, we can give him that Bellator belt as a souvenir.” Photo via UpperBrazil.com)

For UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, the prospect of a super-fight against lightweight champion Anthony Pettis sounds like a pretty damn good idea — except for that part where Aldo would have to give up his belt to take the fight. That part kind of sucks. And so, Aldo’s coach and manager Andre Pederneiras has suggested a solution: A 150-pound catchweight fight where nobody’s title is on the line. Essentially, a meaningless exhibition. Wouldn’t that be fun?

“(A catchweight) would be interesting for both,” Pederneiras told Ta na Area. “They would keep the belts and do the fight everybody wants to see. Nobody wants to take the other’s title, we want to see the fight and do a great show for everybody. Aldo would move up a little, Pettis cuts a little, and it’s good for everybody.”

“Nobody wants to take the other’s title?” What kind of pussified patty-cake bullshit is this? Why wouldn’t Aldo want to become the third two-division champion in UFC history? Why fight Anthony Pettis at all, if a title wasn’t on the line? And how on Earth is this “good for everybody” if it requires Pettis to cut extra weight for a non-title fight?

Clearly, the Aldo camp has gotten cold feet about vacating the featherweight title to pursue a matchup they might not win. And as you can imagine, nobody’s jumping out of their seats to take Pederneiras up on his offer:


(“Tell you what…if Pettis wins, we can give him that Bellator belt as a souvenir.” Photo via UpperBrazil.com)

For UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, the prospect of a super-fight against lightweight champion Anthony Pettis sounds like a pretty damn good idea — except for that part where Aldo would have to give up his belt to take the fight. That part kind of sucks. And so, Aldo’s coach and manager Andre Pederneiras has suggested a solution: A 150-pound catchweight fight where nobody’s title is on the line. Essentially, a meaningless exhibition. Wouldn’t that be fun?

“(A catchweight) would be interesting for both,” Pederneiras told Ta na Area. “They would keep the belts and do the fight everybody wants to see. Nobody wants to take the other’s title, we want to see the fight and do a great show for everybody. Aldo would move up a little, Pettis cuts a little, and it’s good for everybody.”

“Nobody wants to take the other’s title?” What kind of pussified patty-cake bullshit is this? Why wouldn’t Aldo want to become the third two-division champion in UFC history? Why fight Anthony Pettis at all, if a title wasn’t on the line? And how on Earth is this “good for everybody” if it requires Pettis to cut extra weight for a non-title fight?

Clearly, the Aldo camp has gotten cold feet about vacating the featherweight title to pursue a matchup they might not win. And as you can imagine, nobody’s jumping out of their seats to take Pederneiras up on his offer:

“We’re interested in Anthony defending his belt against the top guys at 155,” said Pettis’s manager Mike Roberts today. “If Aldo doesn’t want to fight for the belt, we’ll fight someone else.”

It’s not like there’s a shortage of lightweight challengers who actually want to fight Pettis at 155 pounds, so Pederneiras won’t get very far trying to get cute with this catchweight stuff. In fact, as soon as two rival camps start bickering about weight classes, that’s when you know that a super-fight isn’t going to happen. (See also: Rousey vs. Cyborg.) So thanks a lot, Andre. You’re banned too, now.

Terrible, Stupid, Just Awful Idea of the Day: A Man vs. Woman Fight is Going Down at Shooto Brazil 45 This Weekend [UPDATED]

God damn it, you guys. God. Damn. It.

Maybe it’s just me, but everytime it seems like this thing we call MMA is finally on the right track towards honest-to-God legitimacy, Jose Canseco shows up, or the UFC signs a yoga instructor(‘s death warrant), or some shit like this happens and we’re back to square one.

Begin the SMH’ing, because some Brazilian website is reporting that Shooto, one of Brazil’s longest and (formerly) most prestigious MMA organizations, is planning a man vs. woman fight at this weekend’s Shooto Brazil 45. Specifically, Nova Uniao product Emerson Falcao vs. Team Nogueira’s Juliana Velasquez. Who will be making her professional debut. 

I…I just can’t anymore, you guys. Wiping my hands of this whole thing.

And who came up with this fucking ree-dick-you-lus idea, you ask? Oh, just Andre Pederneiras, the legendary Uniao founder/trainer who has seemed like a relatively intelligent individual up until this point. Maybe he knows something we don’t. In any case, here’s the scoop, as Velasquez told MMAFighting:

God damn it, you guys. God. Damn. It.

Maybe it’s just me, but everytime it seems like this thing we call MMA is finally on the right track towards honest-to-God legitimacy, Jose Canseco shows up, or the UFC signs a yoga instructor(‘s death warrant), or some shit like this happens and we’re back to square one.

Begin the SMH’ing, because some Brazilian website is reporting that Shooto, one of Brazil’s longest and (formerly) most prestigious MMA organizations, is planning a man vs. woman fight at this weekend’s Shooto Brazil 45. Specifically, Nova Uniao product Emerson Falcao vs. Team Nogueira’s Juliana Velasquez. Who will be making her professional debut. 

I…I just can’t anymore, you guys. Wiping my hands of this whole thing.

And who came up with this fucking ree-dick-you-lus idea, you ask? Oh, just Andre Pederneiras, the legendary Uniao founder/trainer who has seemed like a relatively intelligent individual up until this point. Maybe he knows something we don’t. In any case, here’s the scoop, as Velasquez told MMAFighting:

Andre Pederneiras came up with the idea. He asked Team Nogueira for a female fighter and my team believes I’m ready, so I accepted the challenge. My expectations are the best. I’m well trained to get there and win.

I’m used to training with man every day. I’m a professional judoka and I know the adrenaline of the competition, I know how to handle this.

Look, it’s not like a woman can’t beat a man in an MMA fight. Ediane Gomes did it. Cyborg Santos probably does it on weekends for kicks. But there’s just something about this whole idea that seems so…

[UPDATE]

(via MMAFighting) Thank the heavens, this thing might not actually be happening:

Osiris Maia, member of the Brazilian Mixed Martial Arts Confederation, the entity responsible for regulating the Shooto Brazil events, is not sure if they will allow the male vs. female fight to happen.

“There’s nothing in the rules that specific prohibits a man to fight a woman, but when you interpret the rules you know that both athletes must be in the same level, so there’s no way a man should be allowed to fight a woman,” Maia told MMAFighting.com.

“We haven’t received the official card yet from the promotion, we’ll get that (on Thursday) at the weigh-ins,” he continued. “I wasn’t informed about that yet. They announced it to the media only, but if you ask me if we’re allowing it to happen, I don’t think so. I think it’s a disparity. We’ll see what’s going on tomorrow at the weigh-ins.”

Well, it’s good to know that there’s at least one sane individual in all of Brazil who will at least wait until the weigh-ins to call this sham off. The little victories, Nation. The little victories.

We will have more on this story travesty as details are made available.

–J. Jones

Nova Uniao Head Trainer Confirms Renan Barao Is Totally Being Screwed by That Whole “Interim” Title


(And to think, if the guy on the left had won, we’d have a new outright champion by now. Photo via Getty.)

October 1st will mark the two year anniversary (?) of the last time we saw bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defend his title in the octagon. Multiple ACL tears and a rejected cadaver ligament transplant have seen the once dominant champion sidelined ever since his 2011 battle with now flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. As such, the bantamweight division has been stuck in a perpetual state of limbo, frustrating fans, fighters and most importantly, Dominick Cruz.

But perhaps the only person more frustrated by Cruz’s arduous road to recovery than the champ himself is interim title holder Renan Barao, who recently became the first fighter in UFC history to defend said title twice (via a second round KO of Eddie Wineland at UFC 165). Actually, Barao is the first fighter in UFC history to ever defend an interim belt. Unfortunately, the Brazilian isn’t seeing many benefits of being the closest thing to a champion his division has seen in a dog’s age.

That’s at least, according to Nova Uniao head trainer Andre Pederneiras, who recently appeared on MMAJunkie radio to discuss Barao’s current predicament:

He’s very frustrated because he needs to make money. So many sponsors here in Brazil are not sponsoring him because he’s not the real champion from the UFC. He’s the interim champion. He’s losing money every day.

The sponsors here want a real champion. A linear champion. 


(And to think, if the guy on the left had won, we’d have a new outright champion by now. Photo via Getty.)

October 1st will mark the two year anniversary (?) of the last time we saw bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defend his title in the octagon. Multiple ACL tears and a rejected cadaver ligament transplant have seen the once dominant champion sidelined ever since his 2011 battle with now flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. As such, the bantamweight division has been stuck in a perpetual state of limbo, frustrating fans, fighters and most importantly, Dominick Cruz.

But perhaps the only person more frustrated by Cruz’s arduous road to recovery than the champ himself is interim title holder Renan Barao, who recently became the first fighter in UFC history to defend said title twice (via a second round KO of Eddie Wineland at UFC 165). Actually, Barao is the first fighter in UFC history to ever defend an interim belt. Unfortunately, the Brazilian isn’t seeing many benefits of being the closest thing to a champion his division has seen in a dog’s age.

That’s at least, according to Nova Uniao head trainer Andre Pederneiras, who recently appeared on MMAJunkie radio to discuss Barao’s current predicament:

He’s very frustrated because he needs to make money. So many sponsors here in Brazil are not sponsoring him because he’s not the real champion from the UFC. He’s the interim champion. He’s losing money every day.

The sponsors here want a real champion. A linear champion. 

We’ve seen several message boards around the MMA blogosphere making the case that, had Urijah Faber defeated Barao at UFC 149, he would have arguably been promoted to outright champion by now. Why? Because although Barao being champion would clearly be more profitable for Barao, a well known, *American* star like Faber being champion would be far more profitable for the UFC. It would fuel the already heated rivalry between Cruz and Faber, it would give the UFC an opportunity to promote a champion, etc. Cruz would have been able to cash in that lottery ticket he missed out on at UFC 148, so to speak.

Just an observation.

But there is hope, as “The Dominator” is currently eyeing a February 2014 return. It’s a timetable that Pederneiras and company are eager to see come to fruition. Otherwise, well…

I don’t want another opponent. I want to make the fight happen by February, or I need to talk to Dana to take his belt, because more than two-and-a-half years, I don’t understand. But he said he was probably going to be fighting in February. 

I’ve been waiting for that and praying every day for it to happen. Renan wants to fight Dominick. 

Fingers crossed.

–J. Jones