Chad Mendes, keep yourself warmed up.
Jose Aldo’s coach has given his pragmatic take on the rib injury that threatens to scupper the UFC featherweight champions’ title defence against Conor McGregor.
Conflicting medical reports on Aldo’s ribs – damaged during training – have not helped to clear up the prospects of the fight taking place in Las Vegas on July 11. Brazilian doctors claimed Aldo had a rib fracture but an American medic, who also examined the champion, declared there was no break.
Andre Pederneiras, Aldo’s coach, was at the Shooto Brazil 55 event in Rio de Janeiro, last night, and spoke with the media about his fighter.
He commented, ‘There’s [a] medical report here and an evaluation there. I’m not a doctor to say which one is correct. I know he’s injured and this rib injury is painful.
‘He’s using anti-inflammatory and we will wait to see if he gets better. The fight is on, and we’ll check him again next week.’
Pederneiras described an injury treatment process that includes platelet-rich plasma injections. ‘The fight is 15 days away,’ he added. ‘Doctors say he will get better day after day. We can’t say how he will feel 15 days from now.’
However, the coach looks to be setting a decision date as to whether the bout will go ahead or not – leading to Chad Mendes stepping in for the Brazilian. The UFC 189 weigh-in is not until July 10 but the Aldo camp should know by Monday, July 6 if their fighter will be able to train to make the weight.
Pederneiras declared, ‘If [Aldo] can’t do any exercise to cut weight, he won’t fight at all. That doesn’t concern me at all.
‘He’s forbidden to do anything right now. If you move, the injury won’t heal, so he needs to stay to some rest.’
