UFC interim featherweight champion Jose Aldo has requested to be released by the promotion, just days after it was announced that Conor McGregor will fight for the lightweight title at UFC 205 in New York.
The Brazilian, who was beaten for the first time in ten years by McGregor last December, has been requesting a rematch against the Irishman who knocked him out after just 13 seconds of their hugely anticipated featherweight title fight.
The 28-year-old has since fought twice at welterweight against Nate Diaz and will take on Eddie Alvarez for the 155lbs title in New York on November 12.
Aldo clinched the interim featherweight title at UFC 200 in July when he defeated Frankie Edgar has apparently grown tired of waiting for a rematch.
Speaking to Brazilian website Combate, Aldo revealed that he was offered a fight at UFC 205, but not a shot at redemption against McGregor.
"I heard about everything that happened through my coach," Aldo said. "He had spoken with Sean Shelby [Matchmaker in the UFC] Saturday and Sean still had no answer about anything, and asked if I could fight on November 12.
"My coach said that if it would be Conor, yes, and then Sean asked him if I would fight Max Holloway or Anthony Pettis. 'Dede' [Pederneiras] said that for those who I’d rather do a full camp and it could be on December 10. 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 Holloway or Pettis, since Dana [White] said all the time that Conor couldn’t keep both belts. But, to my surprise, I heard last night about the fight between McGregor and Eddie Alvarez, which was also denied by Dana last week.
"And to make it worse, he would keep the featherweight belt, and possibly having two belts at the same time."
McGregor wrote himself into UFC folklore with a 13 second knockout over Jose Also. Image: John Locher / AP/Press Association Images
Dana White had publicly said time and again that after McGregor's fight with Diaz at UFC 202, he would have to return to 145lbs and defend his title against Aldo. However, Aldo claimed that those decisions are no longer up to the UFC president.
"I don’t believe in Dana saying that Conor would have to vacate one of the belts after UFC 205 because, based on what we’re seeing, this type of decision is not in his hands anymore, Conor makes the calls now,.
"And the biggest proof that who’s in charge in the UFC now is Conor is that when I wanted to move up to fight Pettis, they said I’d have to vacate my belt and try this fight with no title whatsoever. But with him, they let him move up to the division above without losing his belt, and also let him do any fight he wants.
"I understand that he sells a lot, but it gets to a limit when it’s no longer a sport, it becomes a circus. I don’t want any type of fight with the UFC. The only thing I want is to go on with my life, and they will go on with theirs."
He added, as per MMAFighting.com: "If [White] likes me and my family, I just hope he released me. I don’t want a fight. 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. I’m not a whore to sell myself [for money].
"I don’t even want to fight MMA. I want to follow a career in another sport. That’s what I want."
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