Jose Aldo’s obsession with Conor McGregor continues as he aims to follow the Irishman into the boxing ring
The Brazilian's fixation on McGregor shows no signs of abating as he looks towards his 'dream' career in the ring
Jose Aldo's obsession with lightweight champion Conor McGregor shows no signs of slowing down as he aims to enter the ring as a boxer.
The news comes in the wake of big names in MMA switching their sights from the octagon to the ring.
It seems to be a case of 'Conor Says' as Nate Diaz and now Jose Aldo seem intent on following the Irishman in trading the cage for the ropes.
Speaking on TV Combate last night , Aldo said:"First of all, it’s not about money. I want to keep it clear.
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"Thank God the UFC and MMA gave me a lot of stuff. Yes, I think about having a career in boxing, but I want to start from the bottom, start from zero.
"I want to get ranked and one day fight for a belt. I don’t want to fight just to fight, for money, to go after big fights and challenge a great champion," he added.
But Jose is not interested in the mega prize fights that currently dominate the narrative of MMA and boxing, instead he wants to start small.
"I respect every boxer", he said. "But I want to start from the bottom. I want a career in boxing.
"That was my biggest dream, to one day become champion in MMA and boxing. That is my biggest dream.”
Aldo had been the featherweight kingpin for over a decade before McGregor put him to sleep in just 13 seconds.
Some would suggest that it may be time for Aldo to wake up.
Since his famous loss, the Brazilian has managed to reclaim his featherweight strap after McGregor was forced to vacate the belt.
After a unanimous decision over Frankie Edgar, the 28-2 fighter is now the undisputed champ once again.
However, many have expressed derision at the prefix 'undisputed,' as Aldo only reclaimed his belt due to McGregor's absence.
And his obsession with securing a rematch against at 155lbs.
It is uncertain if Aldo's motivation to box is another effort to chase McGregor, however the motivation behind his desired move to lightweight is more obvious.
In an interview with the Brazilian wing of the UFC website in November, Aldo said: "To me, I never stopped being champion. I lost that fight because of an accident.
"I knew that I would win a rematch, that I would be champion again. It’s not my fault that he’s such a pu**y he was never the champion.
"I don’t see myself losing to anyone in this division or any other (division).
"First, I want to defend my title, and then go after a fight with him (at lightweight)," he added.
It seems that following the Crumlin native to lightweight may not be an option anymore, with away from the octagon is his next move in the world of combat sports.
His assertion at the PPV interview in Manchester will be sure to irritate McGregor's many enemies in UFC - with Aldo at the forefront.
With Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson fighting for the interim lightweight title on 4 March, it seems that Aldo is not content to wait in line and could switch sport to have his crack at revenge.