Jose Aldo Willing To Throw His Next UFC Fight If Not Released
After once again not being granted a rematch with featherweight champion Conor McGregor, former longtime champion and current interim title holder Jose Aldo asked to be released from the UFC, while also expressing his interest in retiring.
It looks as if Aldo, who most recently beat Frankie Edgar at July’s UFC 200, is sticking to his guns. “Scarface” recently told MMAFighting that he has a meeting scheduled with the UFC, although he said that he doesn’t expect anything to change:
“I’m waiting. That’s the situation now,” Aldo said. “We have a meeting scheduled to solve everything, but everything has been said already. We will see what happens in this meeting. I can talk more when I return.”
“”(Dana White) can offer me anything,” Aldo said. “I started to get unmotivated back then, when I lost the belt. I was the champion for so long I had the right to get an immediate rematch and they didn’t give it to me, and I wanted to walk in a different direction but ‘Dede’ (Pederneiras) made me fight again. I went there, fought and won, and again (the rematch) didn’t come. I have no desire to fight again. I don’t have any excitement to fight anymore. I have other projects in my life. I wanted to retire as champion and I’m the champion today. I want to follow another path.”
While Aldo admitted that he doesn’t necessarily want to retire, he confirmed that he no longer has interest in fighting. In fact, the Brazilian said that it would be ‘great’ if he was released from his contract, and if he isn’t, well than he’ll just throw his next fight:
“I sat down with ‘Dede’ this week and talked. He tried to change my mind a little bit, but there’s no way. I’m very decided what I want,” Aldo said. “We’re going to this meeting and see what happens. ‘Dede’ knows what he wants. It’s not like I want to retire, I’m too young and still have a lot left, but I have no desire to fight. And I have no interest in going to another organization. I won’t leave the biggest league to fight in a small one. I’m a big team and I want to be at the biggest league. If I’m not in the UFC, I’m not fighting anywhere else.”
“If they release me, that would be great, but if not, what can we do? I have other projects and that depends on this meeting we’re having with them,” he continued. “If I want to retire, no contract can stop me. I can go there and say (I’m retired) and they can’t force me to fight. A lawyer already looked at the contract, but I don’t want to fight (the UFC in court). I don’t want anything.
“Ah, you want me to fight MMA again? So I’ll get in there and tap right away, and the fight is over. I’d do it quickly. What I really want is other things for my life.”
It’s almost surreal to here Aldo, a man who not too long ago was the only fighter in the history of the promotion to ever wear 145-pound gold, make these comments, but he has nonetheless.
What do you expect to come out of this situation?
