The MMA world is now starting to get to grips with the new look for the UFC’s featherweight division. After Conor McGregor’s belt was stripped and essentially handed over to Jose Aldo, crowning him the official champion, the promotion added the carrot of an interim 145lb title belt to the new UFC 206 main event between Max Holloway take on Anthony Pettis.
Former lightweight champion Pettis, who recently made his featherweight debut scoring a win over Charles Oliveira, was seemingly very complimentary when asked about Jose Aldo. “For me, Jose Aldo is still Jose Aldo, man,” Pettis said during last night’s media conference call.
“Everybody loses. Even the greatest lose sometimes. Even after 13 seconds, what he did with Conor McGregor, he still has the history that had. He’s a dominant champ for a long time. It’s not like all of a sudden he sucks because he got knocked out by Conor McGregor.”
Pettis is far more understanding and accepting of the UFC taking the featherweight title away from McGregor which now leaves him with an opportunity to become a two-weight champion himself.
“[Aldo] had a great career before Conor McGregor,” Pettis adds. “There’s a reason why Conor let this happen. If Conor really wanted to fight at 145lb again, he would’ve done it and defended his title. So it’s not up to Jose Aldo, it’s not up to Conor McGregor, it’s not up to me or Max who’s the undisputed champ.
“We’re just doing our job. We’re going out there and fighting these fights and trying to prove that we’re the best in the world. And if that guy (Aldo) is there and the opportunity is there, eventually all of us will take it.”
If Pettis was all praise for Aldo, Holloway was anything but, launching into a tirade over the new featherweight champion and he didn’t hold back.
“That motherf**ker, he got diagnosed with that f**king p**sy-itis that he’s been f**king having lately,” said Holloway. “And whenever he wants the vaccine, he can come and get it. So we’ll see what happens.
“I ain’t friends with the guy. I don’t follow him on social media or whatever. I don’t talk to him, I don’t retweet stuff he posts or have conversations with the guy. So who knows what’s going through his mind? Only his coaches and only himself. But we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what happens after December 10 and we’ll find out. We’re going to go out there, you guys are going to get a great fight, and after December 10, we’ll see what’s up with that guy’s mind.”
