Poor ol’ Jose Aldo.
That may sound mocking and sarcastic but it’s genuinely not.
The guy has found himself in an almost unfathomably unfortunate situation and one that he seemingly can do nothing to control.
A year ago Aldo found himself fighting for the accolade of pound-for-pound greatest and now, entering October of 2016, he claims that he could well have fought his last bout.
The former nonpareil UFC featherweight kingpin has tentatively threatened to hang up his gloves and, while that was initially and correctly perceived as a negotiating tactic to get what he undeniably deserves, which is a shot at becoming the undisputed 145lbs champion once again, his objections are not without justification.
Aldo successfully defended his UFC title on seven occasions before that reign came crashing to the canvas in one fell counter hook and, begrudgingly, he since went five rounds to solidify his status as the only viable opponent for the man who remorselessly snatched his belt.
The only viable opponent at featherweight, that is.
Aldo can have no complaints about the losing of his title as Conor McGregor was the better man on the night of December 12, 2015.
But he is well within his rights to complain about his treatment ever since as the only thing that could thaw the cold shoulder he has been force-fed this year is the backburner that he currently calls home.
Many in the MMA community felt as though Aldo’s legacy, well cemented, was enough to have earned him an immediate rematch with his rival after UFC 194.
If Rousey is granted an immediate rematch I would expect the same treatment for Aldo. It only seems right https://t.co/taoqVItasU
— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 14, 2015
The rematch didn’t come initially, which was not the explicit slight that he may have believed it was. But the fact that Aldo was then criticised for not taking the sequel when it presented itself in the form of a late stand-in opportunity for the injured Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 was as unwarranted as it was ridiculous.
With his fellow countryman out of action with a broken foot, Aldo’s phone buzzed with all the expectation of a prompt acceptance of the chance to right the wrong that befell him four months earlier.
But Aldo surely didn’t deserve the accusations of “pussy” and “bitch” that filled his social media timeline when he warily turned down the chance to put his legacy on the line on just 10 days’ notice.
Losing to ‘The Notorious’ twice in a matter of 16 weeks could have set Aldo back years and why should he have gambled it all without a full training camp behind which he could confidently stand?
Sure certain fighters, like McGregor, are built to accept short notice changes and switch-ups at the drop of a hat which makes for fan-friendly viewing. But longevity is more typically fostered in the form of a more cerebral approach to marking bout agreements. Just look at how UFC 196 turned out for McGregor.
Aldo did the wise thing in opting to fight for the interim title against fellow top contender Frankie Edgar, with what seemed like a guarantee in place to face McGregor for the undisputed title next.
But McGregor lost to Diaz before he was given the chance at redemption against his Stockton rival. Round two against Diaz meant a longer wait for Aldo, who comprehensively got past Edgar at UFC 200.
“Conor has to defend his title or make a decision to give it up,” UFC president Dana White told SportsCenter in the wake of the Irishman’s most recent victory at UFC 202.
But alas, McGregor’s next fight has been announced and he’s done neither. And now White has pushed the deadline back, insisting that his most productive cash-cow will give up one of his two titles if he’s victorious against Eddie Alvarez, the lightweight champion who McGregor will meet in the main event of UFC 205.
And here sits Aldo, joining the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway as spinning plates in Operation Keep McGregor Happy.
This shouldn’t be perceived as a dig at McGregor. He does what he wants and good on him.
And he’s not been handed this honour that we’ve never seen a fighter enjoy before. He’s earned his carte blanche and should not be criticised for taking everything he can get away with.
But it’s hard not to feel sorry for Aldo, who can be considered a victim of terrible timing.
He finds himself in the unenviable position of relying on the aspirations of McGregor and never before has the future of such a legend of this sport been wholly dependent on the whims of a rival.
White tends to row back on his word more often than he follows through but if his latest ultimatum, i.e. that McGregor will vacate one title if successful at UFC 205, comes to pass then it would surely make more sense for McGregor to bid farewell to his featherweight crown.
Why would ‘The Notorious’ continue to cut an extra 10lbs to defend his belt if given the option to completely avoid doing so by remaining lightweight champion?
Regardless, Aldo must wait to see how McGregor’s next outing plays out, yet again, with an identical lack of assurances about his foreseeable future.
He’s in the right place (atop the featherweight division) at the absolute wrong time (with the champion enjoying free reign to gallivant at nearby weight classes).
People will point to the fact that Aldo was not the most active champion the UFC would ideally have liked to lead their charge into the lower weight classes.
In both 2012 and 2015, Aldo took to the Octagon on just one occasion while he has never competed more than twice in a calendar year since he signed with the UFC.
His plagued past on the recovery table has perhaps prevented Aldo from taking to the Octagon as frequently as he himself would’ve liked and, unfortunately, he’s in danger of watching the fight game pass him by.
He’s an old school fighter who, for so long, struggled to adapt to the new fight-hyping standards put in place by McGregor.
Now Aldo finds himself pulling a similar ploy to the infamous retirement tweet sent from his bitter rival in an attempt to force the UFC’s hand and get his way.
Aldo’s threat of retirement smacks of desperation but, right now, it’s quite literally all he can do as his previous tacks simply haven’t worked.
The lure has been cast and we’ll just have to wait and see whether the UFC takes the bait.
But it just seems a crying shame that one of the greatest of all time has been reduced to what amounts to attempts to trick his employer into giving him what he deserves.
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