Yahoo Sports Jose Aldo Declares, ‘I'm Going to Get My Belt Back; I'm Going to Beat Conor McGregor'
For former featherweight champion Jose Aldo, losing to Conor McGregor in just 13 seconds at UFC 196 must have been a hard pill to swallow. Aldo was the only 145-pound champion in UFC history until he was knocked out by McGregor during the fight's first exchange.
Aldo held the title for five years (2010-2015). Prior to the McGregor loss, he hadn't been beaten in a decade. The Brazilian is almost unable to accept the loss in his mind, and considers it a fluke.
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“In my opinion, I’m still the champ,” he said during a UFC 200 press conference in New York.
Aldo believes that his status as the long-standing champion, who hadn't lost in 10 years, should have warranted an immediate rematch. That customary courtesy wasn't extended to Aldo. Instead, he'll face former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in the UFC 200 co-main event for the interim featherweight title.
“I think I should have had a rematch, but they put Frankie now, so we’re going to fight Frankie first. But I’m going to get that belt back,” he said. “This is just a setback. I’m going to get my belt back. I’m going to beat Conor.”
