Tag: super fights

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.

Anderson Silva: “If I Fight Jon Jones, I Don’t Think I’m Going to Win”


(Silva vs. Jones: A dream fight that will continue to exist only in the realm of oddly proportioned fan-art. / Illustration via IsraelFelix)

During a media luncheon Monday in Burbank, California, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was asked for perhaps the millionth time about a possible super fight against light-heavyweight title holder Jon Jones. This time, however, Silva chose to answer the question, and in a remarkably candid way.

“If I fight Jon Jones, I don’t think I’m going to win,” Silva said.

Silva defends his title against Chris Weidman this Saturday at UFC 162. He has previously sought a super fight against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre but GSP has seemed publicly uninterested in the bout.

The Canadian champ has cited Silva’s size as a prohibiting factor, but has stopped short of saying that he didn’t think he could beat the pound for pound king. Monday’s comments from Silva may or may not still be the champ acting coy with the media, teasing us with suggestions, denials and non-answers, but it is certainly more direct than anything he’s ever said before on the topic.

“Jon Jones is different,” Silva said. “He’s large. He’s young. But, in the fight, I see in Jon Jones, I see myself from a long time ago. He’s very smart.”


(Silva vs. Jones: A dream fight that will continue to exist only in the realm of oddly proportioned fan-art. / Illustration via IsraelFelix)

During a media luncheon Monday in Burbank, California, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was asked for perhaps the millionth time about a possible super fight against light-heavyweight title holder Jon Jones. This time, however, Silva chose to answer the question, and in a remarkably candid way.

“If I fight Jon Jones, I don’t think I’m going to win,” Silva said.

Silva defends his title against Chris Weidman this Saturday at UFC 162. He has previously sought a super fight against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre but GSP has seemed publicly uninterested in the bout.

The Canadian champ has cited Silva’s size as a prohibiting factor, but has stopped short of saying that he didn’t think he could beat the pound for pound king. Monday’s comments from Silva may or may not still be the champ acting coy with the media, teasing us with suggestions, denials and non-answers, but it is certainly more direct than anything he’s ever said before on the topic.

“Jon Jones is different,” Silva said. “He’s large. He’s young. But, in the fight, I see in Jon Jones, I see myself from a long time ago. He’s very smart.”

When asked if he’d have any advantages over Jones, Anderson could only cite his experience. “I don’t know,” he said.

“In my opinion, ‘Spider’ has more experience than Jon Jones, but that’s the only advantage.”

Do you think this spells the end of the Silva vs. Jones pipe dream, taters? Or, is Silva just once more entertaining himself with his own interviews, or perhaps psyching himself up for the challenge of fighting a man he doesn’t think he can beat?

– Elias Cepeda