Dana White responds to Aldo's rematch request: 'It's tough to make that fight again'

It appears Jose Aldo might be sitting on the sidelines for a very long time if he’s not willing to stray from his demand of a title shot or Conor McGregor rematch for his next contest.

Aldo (25-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC), the former UFC featherweight champion who was knocked out by McGregor (19-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in just 13 seconds to lose the title at UFC 194 in December, recently revealed what he wants next after his first defeat in 10 years.

“Scarface” had torn through all comers in the UFC and WEC before he encountered McGregor. The fight was one of the most anticipated in recent memory but ended before most knew what had happened when “The Notorious” landed a clean strike early on for the knockout.

Although Aldo said the UFC promised him a rematch opportunity with McGregor, the brash Irishman has since moved on to another opponent. He’ll challenge Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight belt at UFC 196 on March 5, and it’s unknown what McGregor’s next move will be after that.

The circumstances around the situation have put Aldo in an awkward position. The Brazilian is firm in his demands, but UFC President Dana White doesn’t appear to be willing to budge.

“It’s one of those things; we made the fight the first time and he got hurt and had to pull out,” White said in an interview with Opie & Jim Norton. “Then we made it again, and it ended in 13 seconds. It’s tough to make that fight again right away. Plus, Conor wants to be a two-belt champion, so he wants to fight dos Anjos.”

The UFC has been open to granting immediate rematches to former champions in the past. Aldo apparently won’t fit into that category despite his longstanding dominance at 145 pounds, and what that means for his future remains a mystery.

White said he understand Aldo’s position and eagerness to regain the belt and avenge his only loss in the past decade. However, McGregor is a fighter with countless matchmaking options and Aldo doesn’t seem to be the most attractive suitor in terms of opponents.

“The problem is that’s what everyone from flyweight to heavyweight is saying now: they all want to fight Conor McGregor,” White said. “He’s the money fight.”

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