- Jose Aldo is waiting for an interesting offer from the UFC before making a big decision
- The Brazilian insists his next move is not about the money anymore
Jose Aldo revealed that leaving the UFC was never in his mind and is waiting for what the promotion would suggest as he carefully plans his next move.
Jose always wanted to stay
Speaking to The MMA Hour, the former featherweight champ opened up about what lies ahead of him following a resurgent win over Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301. Once and for all, Aldo made it clear that he never planned and will never plan to leave the UFC.
That said, it would be up to Aldo if he would opt to be a free agent and embark on a boxing career or stay in the UFC for longer period of time. However, the Brazilian pointed out that it’s respectful and important to hear what the UFC would come up with first before making a decision.
“The idea was actually keep a fight in the contract because I never had the desire to fight anywhere else,” Aldo said. “Fighting in the UFC was always my dream. That’s it. And for being in the UFC is what I always wanted to do and I never wanted to leave. So, I wanted to show some people what I got. I show that I do have a lot to offer and now it’s a new negotiation. It’s a new time. We’re gonna start looking at some other things. I haven’t had some conversations, but [it] did show that I have a lot.”
“I actually had a fight scheduled coming up in the Jake Paul card,” he added. “He had invited me to be a part of a great show, the spectacle. It’s gonna be him, fighting Mike Tyson on Netflix. But… I’m gonna have to sit down and wait for what the UFC offers me. We still need to because of the love and the respect that I have for the organization. I want to listen to them.”
“I do feel very confident in a boxing ring. I feel good doing boxing,” he explained. “I feel that I have things to accomplish, but I need to step back and evaluate the proposal that I get from the UFC because my dream was always to be in this organization. They have treated me so well with such a high level of respect. So, I wanna see what they can offer me… We’re talking about 20 years of my life that have been dedicated to this sport. I am Aldo because of what the MMA and what the UFC have given me. If I am Aldo, the person that you know, I’m here because of them.”
It’s not about the money for Jose
Aldo also explained that he is not thinking about the money at this point. For “The King of Rio,” it’s now about his legacy as a combat sports fighter in which the UFC has played a pivotal role in to.
“It’s not about the money anymore,” Aldo concluded. “There are a lot of things that be taken into consideration, and it’s more of what I can do and what I can get, what I can accomplish. I think that in that fight, I was able to show a lot of things that I can do, that I’m an MMA fighter, that I’m a complete fighter. So, now the conversation is about, well, what can we show the future and the things that we can accomplish?”
The victory over Martinez saw Aldo jumping straight into the No. 8 spot in the official bantamweight rankings. As it stands, Aldo is being viewed by some as a potential title challenger. On the other hand, the Brazilian also appears to have a promising boxing career ahead of him.
Watch Aldo’s full interview below:
