It doesn’t look like Jose Aldo is getting another crack at Conor McGregor any time soon.
The former UFC feathweight champion was knocked out after just 13 seconds at UFC 194 on Saturday night, a loss that made McGregor the undisputed unified UFC featherweight champion.
Despite the outcome, Aldo was a worthy opponent. The 29-year-old was the only champion the division had ever had, and his last loss came over 10 years ago. So, he’ll have to get a rematch with McGregor … right?
Maybe not.
First, McGregor might not stay in the division. He said before the fight that once he defeated Aldo, he’d move up, having conquered the featherweight division. Should McGregor do so, he’ll face the winner the Donald Cerrone-Rafael dos Anjos lightweight bout later this month, according to UFC president Dana White.
In that case, Jose Aldo would likely face Frankie Edgar — who knocked out Chad Mendes on Friday and became the No. 1 contender for the featherweight championship — for McGregor’s vacated belt, White said after the fight, via UFC.com.
But that doesn’t fall in line with McGregor’s plans.
“I’ll tell you one thing that isn’t happening: If I go up to that lightweight division, there’s no way in hell that I’m vacating my belt,” he said during his post-UFC 194 press conference. “That’s not happening. There’ll be a belt on one shoulder and a belt on the other shoulder. … The belts will still be active because I am active.”
So then let’s presume McGregor fights in the featherweight division again one way or another. Then what?
“If (McGregor doesn’t vacate his belt) then we do Frankie Edgar,” White told UFC.com after the fight. “Jose Aldo would fight somebody else.”
We don’t know what exactly McGregor will do next, but we know he won’t be defending his title against Aldo.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
