Jose Aldo Refutes Spy Claims: I’ve Always Fought Fair

Former longtime UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo made headlines earlier this week when he told media in Brazil that he had a spy in Frankie Edgar’s training room prior to their UFC 200 (July 9, 2016) interim title rematch. Aldo had said that his spy gave him secret information regarding Edgar’s game plan, and also that it wasn’t the first time he had used the tactic.

Now, however, “Scarface” is going back on his comments. Taking to his official Instagram account, Aldo wrote that it was all just a joke and that he was simply taking a ‘jab’ at bitter rival and reigning 145-pound titleholder Conor McGregor as McGregor made similar comments prior to his clash with Aldo at December 2015’s UFC 194:

“Guys now I’ve become invincible… Nobody can beat me and my spies… Sometimes we aren’t taken seriously, and other times we joke around and get taken too seriously, so… let’s clarify I’ve always fought fair. I got to the top through a lot of hard work- both mine and my team’s. I am a principled person and fighter. My team is renowned for its development of tough, technical fighters but also for our collective character, and that’s what we’ll continue to be known for. I’d never do anything that goes against our principles. I fight clean, I fight fair, and I fight tough. When I talked about having spies in Edgar’s camp, it was a reference to a comment Macgregor made before our fight. It was just a jab. Everyone knows you can’t change up your entire strategy on fight week- of course Frankie’s strategy was going to be everything that worked for him in our first fight- it was a no-brainer that he would try the same things. As to spies in camp, relax people…my spies are just in your heads. I’m ready for anyone, no spies required.”

Aldo will now likely go on to rematch McGregor in a unification bout for the ages. In fact, the Brazilian recently said that the fight is being rumored for the UFC’s debut in New York at UFC 205 on November 12, 2016 at the historic Madison Square Garden.