Jose
Aldo says the prospect of never getting a rematch, rather than
the defeat itself, brought him to tears after his 13-second
knockout loss to Conor
McGregor at UFC
194 in December 2015.
The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champion explained
in an interview with Mundo da Luta
that he was devastated after being told he would not get an
opportunity to avenge the loss.
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Jose Aldo explains why he believed a Conor McGregor rematch was
impossible after UFC 194
Aldo expected an immediate rematch after losing at MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas. However, he said Dana White told him backstage
that McGregor intended to move up to lightweight because making the
145-pound limit had become too difficult.
“I cried a lot because, in my mind, after I lost, I thought, ‘F**k,
there’s going to be a rematch because I was a dominant champion,’”
Aldo said. “Up until that point, I was the first and only
featherweight champion in history. So, in my mind, I thought,
‘There’s going to be a rematch, I’m going to fight him again, and
it’s going to be a whole new story.’
“Everyone thinks I was crying because I lost. No, I was crying
because I knew we weren’t going to fight again. There was no way
for me to get that win back, you know?” he added.
Aldo continued to call for a rematch over the following years, but
the two never fought again. The Brazilian won the interim
featherweight title in July 2016 and was elevated to undisputed
champion that November. He later moved to bantamweight.
Despite their history, Aldo has developed a friendlier relationship
with McGregor. He has also publicly supported the Irishman’s
recovery from his recent knee injury, expressing hope that his
former rival can return to competition.