The UFC recently announced that former featherweight champion Jose Aldo will fight former lightweight title holder Frankie Edgar for a second time at July’s blockbuster UFC 200 pay-per-view event.

Officials added that the Aldo vs. Edgar rematch will be for the promotions interim featherweight title.

Aldo had been campaigning for a rematch with current UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor at the highly anticipated event, however UFC officials opted to put McGregor in a rematch with Nate Diaz to headline the UFC 200 show.

Jose Aldo’s coach Andre Pederneiras recently spoke to MMAFighting‘s Guilherme Cruz about the UFC 200 rematch with Frankie Edgar. Here is what he had to say:

“We were expecting the fight with Conor fight, but we can’t live to mourn,” Aldo’s coach and manager Andre Pederneiras stated. “Aldo has a date and a fight booked, and it’s for the interim belt, so let’s work to win this title and fight Conor again.

“Both fighters have evolved a lot (since UFC 156),” he added. “It’s going to be interesting to see how they both prepare for each other in this new fight.”

Pederneiras was asked for his opinion on the rematch with Edgar being for an ‘interim’ title:

“Of course!” said Pederneiras, who didn’t complain about the interim tag. “Our goal is the title. Like we made clear previously, we would only fight for the title, and that’s what’s happening now.

“About Conor vs. Diaz, I don’t have much to say. The UFC owners know the reasons (why it’s happening) and I can’t say anything about that because I have a business too and I do what has to be done so my company brings me the biggest profit possible.”

Aldo’s coach went on to say that he doesn’t give McGregor much of a chance in his rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 200:

“(It will be) tougher than the first one,” he said of McGregor vs. Diaz. “I think Conor will control more his impulse to get the knockout so he doesn’t gas again, but even if he wins, which I don’t think will happen, he’s way smaller than the athletes in this division, and I’m not even talking about the champion. For an example, a fight between him and Demian (Maia), who is a big guy for the division since he came from 185 pounds, Conor’s chances at defeating guys in this division are really low.”

How do you think the UFC 200 bouts between Diaz vs. McGregor and Edgar vs. Aldo will play out? Sound off PENN Nation!