Jose Aldo has branded Conor McGregor a "coward" after the Dubliner vacated the UFC featherweight belt.
McGregor became the UFC's first concurrent two-weight champion after the SBG fighter claimed the lightweight belt by beating Eddie Alvarez.
He won the featherweight belt in 2015 after defeating Aldo during a bout that lasted just 13 seconds.
But the Irish MMA fighter has vacated the featherweight belt, as confirmed by the UFC, although his coach John Kavanagh has said that he has been "very disappointed with how they (UFC) went about doing it".
Aldo has now spoken about developments and threw a dig at McGregor in the process.
"I knew for certain that this would happen. In my opinion, I never stopped being the champion. I lost that fight because of an accident," he said to UFCBrazil.com.
"I knew that I would win a rematch and would become champion again. It's not my fault that he's a coward. He was never the champion. I don't see myself losing to anyone in my weight class or any other one."
And while Aldo intends to first defend the featherweight title that he has been promoted to, he also hopes to face McGregor again by stepping up to lightweight.
"It's logical that I give a lot of thought to that rematch, and it's a certainty that it will happen," he said.
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