Jose Aldo's coach clears air on whether the Brazilian will fight MMA outside of the UFC, gives update on future plans
Jose Aldo's long-time coach Andre Pederneiras recently opened up about the Brazilian's immediate fighting future following his departure from the UFC.
Speaking to Sherdog, Pederneiras made it clear that the former two-time UFC featherweight champion isn't interested in competing for any other MMA promotions after an illustrious run inside the UFC octagon.
The MMA coach also revealed that a boxing showdown against four-time world champion Acelino Popo Freitas is something that interests them. However, he added that it isn't currently in the works:
"Aldo had one fight on his contract with the biggest promotion in the world, where he built all his history. No matter the financial proposal, it wouldn't make any sense for him. Especially since Aldo is already financially comfortable for the rest of his life. He never considered returning in another MMA promotion."
Pederneiras added:
“There is something really big coming up for Aldo. Maybe one day a fight with Popo [Acelino Freitas] can be interesting, but it's not at that moment."
Jose Aldo decided to call it quits after a legendary run with the UFC that saw him hold the featherweight title on two occasions. Aldo's management team negotiated the Brazilian's release from his UFC contract despite having one more fight left in the promotion.
The former champion made his professional MMA debut at Eco Fight Championship 1 in August 2004. 'Junior' joined the UFC ranks in April 2011 when he edged out Mark Hominick at UFC 219. The Brazilian has competed in 20 bouts throughout his UFC career.
Aldo last competed against bantamweight prospect Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 in August, where he suffered a unanimous decision loss.
How much did Jose Aldo earn in his last UFC fight?
Jose Aldo earned a total of $431,000 for his final UFC appearance against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278, as per MMA Salaries. His opponent, meanwhile, only took home a total of $204,000 for his triumph against the Brazilian. With the win, 'The Machine' picked up his eighth consecutive victory under the promotional banner.
Jose Aldo was on a three-fight winning streak before his latest defeat at the hands of the Georgian. 'Junior' had wins over the likes of Rob Font, Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera and was well on his way to a title shot.
However, the Brazilian decided to end his UFC career and seems interested in pursuing other combat sports.