Long-time UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has hinted that he’s planning a big announcement after his upcoming title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on July 11th.
“One step at a time,” Aldo told Sherdog.com. “I have a tough fight with McGregor, and that´s my goal now. After that fight, you will know what is gonna happen. The UFC knows, I know, and everything is already set.
“As soon as I beat McGregor, you will know what´s gonna be my next step.”
That’s sure to lead to speculation that the 28 year-old is considering a superfight in the lightweight division, or perhaps even a permanent move there.
Aldo has struggled making the featherweight limit in the past, so a move up to 155lbs could be a relief on that front, and after taking out all the top contenders at 145lbs, if he gets past McGregor too then it would make sense to seek a fresh challenge.
A clash with current lightweight champion Anthony Pettis has been spoken about before and would be a dream fight for fans between two of the most elite strikers in the sport. However, Pettis would also have to overcome Rafael dos Anjos tonight at UFC 185 for that to become reality.
There’s also an outside chance that Aldo could be looking at a superfight with bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw. Dillashaw has already indicated he’d be willing to step up to featherweight to fight Aldo, but he too has his hands full with a rematch against Renan Barao in the works and he’ll probably need a few more defenses of his title before the UFC would consider a fight like that.
First things first though, and Aldo’s upcoming fight with the outspoken McGregor looks likely to be his biggest and most hyped bout to date.
