Conor McGregor, left, fights Jose Aldo during a featherweight championship mixed martial arts bout at UFC 194, on Dec. 12, 2015, in Las Vegas. AP Photo/John Locher
After being gifted the UFC Featherweight title that Conor McGregor was stripped of over the weekend, Jose Aldo should be lying low on his criticism of the Irish superstar.
READ: McGregor gives up UFC featherweight belt
But no, the 30-year-old Brazilian again expressed his disdain for his former foe, claiming that the result of their fight in December was nothing more than a fluke.
“To me, I never stopped being champion,” Aldo, who was blasted by McGregor in 13 seconds at UFC 194, told UFC.com. “I lost that fight because of an accident. I knew that I would win a rematch, that I would be champion again.”
“It’s not my fault that he’s such a (expletive), he was never the champion. I don’t see myself losing to anyone in this division or any other (division),” the longtime Featherweight title holder added.
A supposed rematch between the two was planned many times but never materialized. McGregor would ultimately move to the lightweight division and claim the 155-pound belt, while Aldo took some time off and won the interim belt back in July with a unanimous decision win over Frankie Edgar.
With the 145-lb belt now back on his waist, Aldo still has his sights on chasing McGregor and avenging that ugly loss, may it be at Featherweight or Lightweight.
“First, I want to defend my title, and then go after a fight with him (at lightweight),” Aldo said. “Just like Dana (White) said, we can choose who we want to fight, so I want to fight him. That’s what will happen.
But before he could have his hands on the Irishman again, Aldo knows he must get past the winner of the recently announced headliner match-up between Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway at UFC 206.
“I don’t see any problem. I’ll be prepared for whoever wins. Pettis has a bigger name, of course, was a champion before, so it would be a bigger fight. But if it’s the other one (Holloway), no problem, I’ll win no matter what.” Khristian Ibarrola
RELATED STORY:
Fighters react to UFC’s stripping of McGregor’s FW title