Jose Aldo is looking for more challengers, and he is content on seeking competition elsewhere.The current UFC featherweight champion has disposed of every opponent so far and does not intend on slowing down.Since the rumors of former UFC lightweight ch…
Jose Aldo is looking for more challengers, and he is content on seeking competition elsewhere.
The current UFC featherweight champion has disposed of every opponent so far and does not intend on slowing down.
Since the rumors of former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar possibly moving to 145 pounds were recently shot down, Aldo said he still would welcome Edgar in a matchup at some point in the future.
But he made it clear that if Edgar won’t move down to compete in the featherweight division, Aldo will challenge him at 155 pounds.
“Having Edgar, a former lightweight champion, would be amazing for the featherweight division, but if he doesn’t come down [to 145 pounds], in the future, I’m going to have to move to lightweight,” Aldo told Sherdog.com.
The idea that Edgar would move down to challenge Aldo came about following his loss to Benson Henderson at UFC 144. But Edgar said he still sees a future at 155 pounds and would not confirm the potential move anytime soon.
Even UFC president Dana White‘s words did little to convince Edgar and offered him a rematch for the lightweight title, scheduled for later this year.
But Aldo is confident in Edgar’s exit from the lightweight division in the near future, and anticipates a potential bout with “The Answer,” which Aldo said is a fight many fans will want to watch.
“Edgar thinks he won against Henderson, so he really had to stay in his division and get the rematch,” he said. “If he comes to featherweight, we’ll fight. Many people want to see it.”
(For just three cents a day, you can help provide this child with everything he needs to earn a title shot.)
You’ve got to understand Anthony “Showtime” Pettis‘ frustration. After winning the final WEC Lighweight Championship by defeating current UFC Lightweight Champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson back at WEC 53, many believed he would be on the short list of contenders to face then UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. When Edgar fought to a draw with Gray Maynard less than a month after WEC 53, Pettis’ title hopes would be put on the backburner. A UD loss via dry humping and shoulder-strikes to Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale in June of 2011 would all but completely derail those championship aspirations.
Cut to February of 2012. After defeating Maynard via fourth round TKO in their rematch, Edgar would face off against arguably his toughest challenge to date, former WEC champion Ben Henderson, who was riding a four fight win streak since losing to Pettis. The event was UFC 144, and kicking off the main card would be an intriguing match-up between Pettis and Joe Lauzon. “Showtime” would live up to his nickname, steamrolling Lauzon with a head kick knockout in just under two minutes, and Henderson would clearly defeat Edgar by unanimous decision. Though Pettis had only scored two straight in the octagon, Dana was damn near forcing Edgar to drop to 145 and face Jose Aldo, so it seemed as if we were destined for Pettis/Henderson II.
But then, it happened. Out of nowhere, Edgar was granted a rematch with Henderson, and Pettis once again found himself screwed out of yet another title shot, against a man he had beaten in a title fight nonetheless. So perhaps the recent comments made by “Showtime’s” manager are not without merit. Here’s what Ariel Helwani said during an episode of UFC tonight after speaking with Pettis’ manager:
(For just three cents a day, you can help provide this child with everything he needs to earn a title shot.)
You’ve got to understand Anthony “Showtime” Pettis‘ frustration. After winning the final WEC Lighweight Championship by defeating current UFC Lightweight Champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson back at WEC 53, many believed he would be on the short list of contenders to face then UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. When Edgar fought to a draw with Gray Maynard less than a month after WEC 53, Pettis’ title hopes would be put on the backburner. A UD loss via dry humping and shoulder-strikes to Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale in June of 2011 would all but completely derail those championship aspirations.
Cut to February of 2012. After defeating Maynard via fourth round TKO in their rematch, Edgar would face off against arguably his toughest challenge to date, former WEC champion Ben Henderson, who was riding a four fight win streak since losing to Pettis. The event was UFC 144, and kicking off the main card would be an intriguing match-up between Pettis and Joe Lauzon. “Showtime” would live up to his nickname, steamrolling Lauzon with a head kick knockout in just under two minutes, and Henderson would clearly defeat Edgar by unanimous decision. Though Pettis had only scored two straight in the octagon, Dana was damn near forcing Edgar to drop to 145 and face Jose Aldo, so it seemed as if we were destined for Pettis/Henderson II.
But then, it happened. Out of nowhere, Edgar was granted a rematch with Henderson, and Pettis once again found himself screwed out of yet another title shot, against a man he had beaten in a title fight nonetheless. So perhaps the recent comments made by “Showtime’s” manager are not without merit. Here’s what Ariel Helwani said during an episode of UFC Tonight after speaking with Pettis’ manager:
I spoke to Anthony’s manager just a few hours ago and he told me that he was really disappointed, but he respects the decision. He would consider going down to 145 to fight Aldo. This is definitely something to monitor.
Something to monitor, indeed. If Pettis were to drop to 145, you’ve got to imagine he would be granted a title shot off the bat. Yes, the upcoming match between Chan Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier has title implications written all over it, but aside from that, the current 145 pound division is rather vacant in terms of title challengers. And let’s be honest, a fight between Pettis and Aldo would not only be a huge test for both men, but a potential fight of the year candidate as well.
It simply makes too much sense, both in terms of marketing and the 145 lb. division, for this fight not too happen. Sure, Pettis hasn’t fought in the division before, but Ronda Rousey proved that that stipulation is meaningless. And since Dana White is willing to grant undeserved immediate rematches out of sympathy, why not a title shot? It’s not like the UFC has established definite rules for what warrants one; look no further than Brock Lesnar for proof of this. I guess a lot is riding on whether or not the winner of the Poirier/Jung match is able to walk away unscathed, but in the meantime, why not match these two up, nawmsayin’?
Should Pettis drop to 145? And if so, do you think he should get an immediate title shot, or perhaps a tune up fight against an Eric Koch-type fighter? If I were to guess, I’d say Pettis wouldn’t want to risk missing out on another shot, so this drop is only happening if he’s guaranteed a shot at Aldo. If so, prepare for a barnburner, Potato Nation.
(Tom couldn’t handle constantly being asked if the guy he was with was the dude that f*cked Kimbo)
As fans and pundits of the sport, sometimes we forget that the fighters we love and hate to watch in the ring and cage are normal human beings like we are. They have bills to pay, mouths to feed and wives and girlfriends that *most* of them go home to every night.
We’ve been introduced to many of the W.A.Gs of fighters by UFC countdown shows, porno movies, arrest reports and through their own contributions to the sport as managers and fighters in their own right. Regardless of what they do, they support their men through the good and the bad and keep the home front running smoothly while their husbands and boyfriends are away for training camps or competing.
They don’t get a lot of mention by us media types, so we figured we would pay them tribute by posting a gallery of some of the lesser-known ladies behind the well-known fighters in the sport.
(Tom couldn’t handle constantly being asked if the guy he was with was the dude that f*cked Kimbo)
As fans and pundits of the sport, sometimes we forget that the fighters we love and hate to watch in the ring and cage are normal human beings like we are. They have bills to pay, mouths to feed and wives and girlfriends that *most* of them go home to every night.
We’ve been introduced to many of the W.A.Gs of fighters by UFC countdown shows, porno movies, arrest reports and through their own contributions to the sport as managers and fighters in their own right. Regardless of what they do, they support their men through the good and the bad and keep the home front running smoothly while their husbands and boyfriends are away for training camps or competing.
They don’t get a lot of mention by us media types, so we figured we would pay them tribute by posting a gallery of some of the lesser-known ladies behind the well-known fighters in the sport.
How awesome would it be to test your skills and train alongside UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo?A lucky fan got that opportunity after winning a contest conducted by Integral Medical Aércio Medina.Courtesy of Aldo’s coach André Peder…
How awesome would it be to test your skills and train alongside UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo?
A lucky fan got that opportunity after winning a contest conducted by Integral Medical Aércio Medina.
Courtesy of Aldo’s coach André Pederneiras, the fan was treated with an all-expense paid trip to Nova União training center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to meet and train with the UFC champ.
Aldo is barely going 15 percent of his full effort in this video, but his fan shows off some pretty decent striking.
The champ keeps him on his heels throughout the sparring session, but he’s able to pull off some nice leg kicks and a solid punch to the body.
After going easy on his fan in the standup, Aldo decided to kick things up a notch in the grappling portion of the training session, where he really shows the difference between an experienced grappler and a world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.
Regardless, these are the kind of memories that last a lifetime. Aldo is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world and a future UFC Hall of Famer.
This fan will have an amazing story to tell his kids and grandkids.
While Jose Aldo reigns as king, many suitable contenders are looking to dethrone the UFC featherweight champion.Hatsu Hioki has long been recognized as one of the best at 145 pounds, though the Japanese star’s initial foray inside the Octagon was not i…
While Jose Aldo reigns as king, many suitable contenders are looking to dethrone the UFC featherweight champion.
Hatsu Hioki has long been recognized as one of the best at 145 pounds, though the Japanese star’s initial foray inside the Octagon was not indicative of his skills.
Now, Hioki has turned in a noteworthy performance, a decision victory over the always tough Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144.
The impressive win has now put Hioki on the short list of would-be contenders for Aldo’s belt. Here, we will take a look at the best of the rest and depict all of the top-10 opposition that exists in the MMA world today.
*These rankings are the combined efforts of some of Bleacher Report MMA’s best writers, as we continue to try and provide you with the best content on the web.*
(To be fair, DW also thought the Conan remake was going to TOTALLY RULE.)
In what might become known as the most difficult rebound match in the history of combat sports, UFC President Dana White has suggested that former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar drop down to 145 lbs, whereupon he would be given an immediate title shot against Jose Aldo. When questioned on the possibility of Edgar receiving a rematch against Ben Henderson following his…close, I guess, decision loss at UFC 144, White didn’t come right out and say yes or no, but rather suggested an alternate route for Edgar:
I think everybody is pretty clear on what I’d like to see him do, I’d like to see him go down to his natural weight of 145 pounds. There’s no doubt, again, when you talk about respecting a guy, I have so much respect for Frankie Edgar and what he’s been able to do at 155 pounds – because he had to, because there wasn’t a 145 pound division…
…if I’m gonna deny him the rematch for the 155 pound title, I’m gonna make him move to 145 and say, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna have to fight a couple fights first to get the title.’ Does that sound right? No.
When asked for comment, Urijah Faber exclaimed, “That makes perfect sense to me. Absolutely perfect sense.” OK, we made that last part up.
(To be fair, DW also thought the Conan remake was going to TOTALLY RULE.)
In what might become known as the most difficult rebound match in the history of combat sports, UFC President Dana White has suggested that former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar drop down to 145 lbs, whereupon he would be given an immediate title shot against Jose Aldo. When questioned on the possibility of Edgar receiving a rematch against Ben Henderson following his…close, I guess, decision loss at UFC 144, White didn’t come right out and say yes or no, but rather suggested an alternate route for Edgar:
I think everybody is pretty clear on what I’d like to see him do, I’d like to see him go down to his natural weight of 145 pounds. There’s no doubt, again, when you talk about respecting a guy, I have so much respect for Frankie Edgar and what he’s been able to do at 155 pounds – because he had to, because there wasn’t a 145 pound division…
…if I’m gonna deny him the rematch for the 155 pound title, I’m gonna make him move to 145 and say, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna have to fight a couple fights first to get the title.’ Does that sound right? No.
When asked for comment, Urijah Faber exclaimed, “That makes perfect sense to me. Absolutely perfect sense.” OK, we made that last part up.
Although it is a well known fact that Edgar fights at his natural weight, a rarity which for reasons I do not understand is frowned upon in MMA, Edgar has stated before that he isn’t exactly interested in dropping to 145 lbs. And considering DW apparently scored Edgar’s title losing effort in the New Jersian’s favor, why would moving down to featherweight be Frankie’s best move? According to White, it’s out of respect for the former champ, and a desire for his career to last as long as it possibly can, which isn’t that long to begin with:
I really like and respect Frankie Edgar as a human being — take the whole fighting thing out of it. This guy belongs at 145 pounds. When you are a professional fighter, you have a small window of opportunity to compete and be a professional athlete. There are only so many wars you have in you. You can’t have this long, amazing career fighting wars all the time.
Personally, I felt the Edgar/Henderson decision was pretty clear cut, and was surprised to say the least when I heard that White had scored it in favor of Edgar. But the man makes a good point in that, despite Edgar’s incredible heart, chin, and work ethic, he will never size up to the Ben Henderson’s of the world. The fact that a man who fights at his natural weight shouldn’t be competing at said weight says more about the mentality of the sport than it does about Edgar himself. However, that’s simply the way the game is played nowadays, so you might as well get in line.
But then you come to the issue of an immediate title shot at 145 lbs. Does Edgar deserve it? Let’s say he does, but taking on an arguably, no, assuredly more dangerous opponent than the one he just lost to seems like kind of a suicide mission. It would be like if we decided to go from Vietnam up into China back in 1975. And invaded Japan on the side. Jose Aldo is that dangerous. And being that Frankie has never had to cut weight before, you would imagine he’d maybe want a tune up fight ala Kenny Florian to get used to the weight. I could be wrong here, so what do you guys think, rematch or possible deathmatch?
