Jose Aldo Demands Release From UFC If He Doesn’t Get Conor McGregor Rematch

Jose Aldo wants revenge for Conor McGregor knocking him out in just 13 seconds at UFC 194. And it would appear winning the interim Featherweight Championship by beating Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 isn’t enough for the Brazilian fighter — he wants a rematch against the “Notorious” McGregor, and he wants to prove that he can hang with the outspoken Irishman and hopefully win in their return match. But since that’s apparently not happening, Aldo publicly asked that he be released from his contract, and stated that he’d rather retire than keep working for UFC President Dana White.

In an interview with Brazilian MMA site Combate, Aldo said on Tuesday that he’s at a point where he no longer trusts White, due to a lack of transparency regarding the current situation of the featherweight titles. McGregor, who will be facing Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title at UFC 205 in November, also holds the promotion’s Featherweight Championship, and Aldo claims White had always maintained that McGregor cannot hold two belts at the same time.

“We waited until Dana publicly said that he wanted this fight with McGregor to happen. And then we expected it to happen. I’d get my rematch to unify the featherweight belts, or I’d have my belt back and fight (Max) Holloway or (Anthony) Pettis, since Dana said all the time that Conor couldn’t keep both belts,” said Aldo in his interview, which was translated into English by MMA Fighting.

Conor McGregor says UFC will have to ‘gather an army' to take one of his belts after UFC 205 (@shaunalshatti) https://t.co/JcCuH12myO

— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) September 28, 2016

With McGregor seemingly intent on keeping both belts, should he beat Alvarez for the lightweight title at UFC 205, and UFC having confirmed that fight, Aldo added that he’s had enough, and that he would prefer that the company release him. He also made references to promises White allegedly broke, that the winner of Aldo vs. Edgar at UFC 200 would get to face McGregor and unify the featherweight titles, and that McGregor would lose his featherweight belt if he didn’t defend it after his UFC 202 win over Nate Diaz last month.

Aldo also expressed doubt that White would honor his statement that McGregor would have to drop one of his titles if he wins over Alvarez. He said he believes it’s McGregor who now “makes the calls” as a man who, in Aldo’s mind, has even more power than the president of the company himself.

After news of Aldo’s interview broke, White took it upon himself to speak to Combate TV, telling the television station that he would talk to Aldo and discuss his options.

“We won’t cancel his contract,” explained White in BJPenn.com’s English translation of the original statement made to Combate. “We know he got very emotional. We respect Jose Aldo very much. We care for the people around him. Khabib (Nurmagomedov) wanted a fight on the card (against Michael Johnson) and we got it for him. I’m sure we can find something nice for Jose, as well.”

Unfortunately, it appears that that “something nice” isn’t nice enough for Aldo. He quickly called up Combate TV to follow up on his earlier statements, adding that things have “reached a limit.” He explained that his coach Dede Pederneiras’ did try to talk him out of retirement and that he acquiesced, taking the fight at UFC 200 and beating Edgar for the interim featherweight title.

“I don’t want (another) fight,” said the 30-year-old interim champ in his call to the TV station. “I want to leave as I came in. The UFC and WEC didn’t give me anything. Everything I conquered was my merit and from my team. Nobody gave me anything. I conquered everything. And I gave them a lot more than they gave me back. I just want them to release me from my contract.”

This latest chapter in what has been a confusing past few days does add some clarity to the title pictures, though it will be a huge loss for the UFC, and for mixed martial arts in general, if Jose Aldo does make good on his plans to retire.

[Featured Image by Steve Marcus/Getty Images]