By Michaek Owens
José Aldo has an opponent in mind for his next fight.
Actually it would be more accurate to say he has a pair of opponents in mind for his next fight. In a refreshing break from tradition – compared with other UFC champions in the past – he has called out the two fighters in the featherweight division that most deserve a title shot.
Since a proposed fight with Anthony Pettis at lightweight was cancelled in the wake of Gilbert Melendez’s re-signing with the UFC, he has targeted Chad Mendes and Cub Swanson. Two fighters riding five-fight win streaks:
“I think my next opponent can be any of them,” he told Combate.com. “They have been winning lately. Swanson not so much but Mendes won his last five fights so he is deserving. If I will have to fight with Swanson, I think he deserves too. Right now we are waiting the UFC define this. I think I will fight again in August or September.”
The fact that Aldo handily beat each of these fighters inside a round in the past does not even seem to bother him. Remember how often other fighters have complained about having to fight men they’ve already beaten (ahem, Anderson Silva)? He recognises that Mendes and Swanson have the most impressive records at 145 pounds in the last two years and they deserve a shot at the title. He had beaten them once, he can do it again and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.
The fact that these are not big-money draws probably entered the champion’s mind, but then again no-one at featherweight is a particularly strong draw right now. He probably figures that seeing as he can’t get his lucrative fight at 155 he might as well compete and make what money he can. If he plays his cards right he may just end up fighting in Brazil too – an opportunity he is sure to lap up. Kudos to you José Aldo.
Of course, being the competitor he is, ‘Junior’ still has an eye on Tony Pettis. He knows it will be a great fight, it’s a huge challenge and it is likely to be the most commercially promising fight he could have in the next year or two. Fortunately hee won;t go spitting his dummy out at missing out on this opportunity right now. Both Aldo and ‘Showtime’ are young and there’s plenty of time for this to happen at lightweight or featherweight if Melendez does manage to take the title later this year.
“I think not just me but everyone wants this fight, including him,” he said. “It would sell a lot. I think both of we want to do this fight. He had a knee surgery and now he will be a TUF coach, my change of division was suspended. But I think he wants. Based in what he talks, he wants, but in the backstage not so much. I don’t know what happens. I hope he wants this, it would be good for me, for him, for everybody. If he doesn’t want, we will catch him somehow.”
The good thing for fight fans is Aldo vs. anyone is worth 25 minutes or less of anyone’s viewing time. Pettis vs. Melendez maybe even more so. The second half of 2014 is lining up to be a cracker in the lighter weight classes.
