UFC 189 was the biggest even in recent memory. A PPV so grand that many are calling it the best the UFC has ever done. Standing atop the card was Conor McGregor, having defeated Chad Mendes in the main event, focus has whipped back around to the man he was supposed to fight, featherweight champion Jose Aldo. A bout between the two men is still lurking on the horizon. Conor McGregor has to go through TUF against Urijah Faber first, Jose Aldo has to heal from his rib injury (whatever that may be).
But, to keep the flame alight and to answer some of the many questions about the nature of his injury and the potential fight with McGregor, Jose Aldo sat down with the MMA media in Brazil. Here’s what he had to say about how his injury happened and why he was training the way he was:
Note: Click the CC button in the YouTube embed to get subtitles for the media questions and Aldo’s answers.
“Many people talked about me training with heaier guys, or training with no protection. I laugh at this sometimes. Chris Weidman pulled out from the Vitor fight three times, with rib injuries and other things. Cain Velasquez was also out with injuries. It’s funny. They say we have to protect ourselves, but they have all this protection, so how do they get injured? We train in a full-contact sport and there’s a risk, it doesn’t matter if the other guys is light or heavy. You can’t escape from this. We try to get the closest possible of the reality. Every time I fight, I won’t change anythign. If I have to train, like some people said I knocked out “Cigano” (Junior dos Santos). Fuck, if I have to train with Cigano, I will. I will train with whoever I have to keep this title.
It was an accident. He was helping me a lot. He’s a lightweight, so there was no welterweight like some people said. This kid tried a kick, slipped and caught my rib. I kept training, did one more round, but couldn’t continue with the pain. It’s part of the sport. I live with this and won’t run away from it. I’ve trained out there, and I know how they train. They train like we do, so there’s no problem. I will continue to train the same way, have the same contact. Every time I train I don’t want my partner to take it lightly, but to get the closest possible to reality. If I have to get hurt, I will. Sometimes it happens. It was God’s will. God wanted this way.”
Aldo also spoke about Dana White’s insistence that Aldo’s rib wasn’t fractured and that he wasn’t badly injured enough to necessitate withdrawing from UFC 189:
“We showed them everything, the MRI, x-ray, and the video of how it happened. Sometimes people mistranslate what he said, but he knows I was hurt. He’s not a doctor, he’s the president of the UFC and promotes fights. Who has the rigth to say if I’m injured or not is the doctor who understands abuot it. Several doctors saw what happneed. Everyone speaks what they want.”
Aldo also talked about the Mendes vs. McGregor fight and what he thought of it (most interestingly that he hasn’t watched it), future retirement plans, dreading another World Media Tour, and the value of an interim title. There’s a lot more in there too as this is one of the most unfiltered versions of Aldo we’ve gotten to see. So, check the whole thing out.
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