Bantamweight contender Jose Aldo says he will never fight for another MMA promotion outside the UFC, saying “It is not a question of money.”
Aldo returns to the Octagon this Saturday at UFC Vegas 17 when he takes on the surging Marlon Vera in the evening’s co-main event. For Aldo, this is an extremely important fight. The former UFC featherweight champion has fallen on hard times as of late, dropping three straight fights. With the UFC cutting 60 fighters from its roster and with fellow Brazilians such as Junior dos Santos and Ronaldo Souza likely exiting the Octagon, some have suggested Aldo could also be released with a loss to Vera.
At age 34 and coming off of three straight losses to Petr Yan, Marlon Moraes, and Alexander Volkanovski, there is certainly valid reasoning behind fans and media who are concerned about his future with the UFC should he lose to Vera. For Aldo, though, those same worries do not exist. Speaking to AG Fight before his matchup with Vera, Aldo said that he is not worried about his status with the UFC. If for any reason he was released, Aldo says he has no interest in signing with another MMA organization.
“Never, never. I don’t even think about being away (from the UFC). Tomorrow, if my contract ends, I renew with the UFC just to stay at Ultimate. I started and I want to finish inside the UFC. It is not a question of money. Thanks to God, I was able to prepare for this moment of living post-fight, after my professional life. So, it never crosses my mind to fight for another organization,” Aldo said.
The UFC likes Aldo and so do the fans, so it would be downright shocking if he did get released, even with a loss to Vera. But considering other former champions like JDS and former title challengers like Yoel Romero have gotten the boot lately, this is for sure a must-win fight for Aldo just so he doesn’t have to worry about anything.
But in the slight chance that something did change his status with the UFC, we know that Aldo is a company man. While others have shopped their services around, Aldo says that he doesn’t care about the money side of it. He likes fighting in the Octagon and he wants to finish his career there, and a win over Vera would keep him safe.
Do you think Jose Aldo will beat Marlon Vera at UFC Vegas 17?