Jose Aldo has been consistent about his plan to retire by the end of 2019, but in a recent interview with ESPN, Aldo’s stance has proven to be much more flexible than initially set.
Jose Aldo is currently on a two-fight winning streak, both by stoppage, over Jeremy Stephens and Renato Moicano. The 32-year-old Aldo clearly still has much more to give to the sport, but one of the reasons he has eyed retirement so closely is because he wants to begin giving to another sport before it’s too late:
“My plan is to fight Alexander Volkanovski on May 11,” Aldo told ESPN. “Then I’ll have only one fight left in my [UFC] contract, which I plan to have. But I already have another thing in mind: boxing.”
But Jose Aldo would go on to state that his plans for the UFC extend beyond that final fight in his contract. And while continuing to fight in the UFC would be preferable, it is only on one condition that his UFC career will continue:
“I want to push myself. I’m not here for a specific match. I won’t call anyone out. I want to start from the bottom, really push myself, get ranked and who knows … fight for the title one day. Of course, my name already puts me ahead of lots of guys.”
“They’ll never let me fight for the title if I don’t have any fights left in my contract,” Aldo continued. “Everything is about the negotiation. We are open to discuss,” Aldo said. “We can always have a conversation and try to find the best possible way to do it. I don’t see a problem in [re-signing with the UFC and being able to box]. I don’t see myself fighting MMA elsewhere but the UFC.”
Beginning a boxing career is not something that Jose Aldo is merely imagining; it is an avenue that he has been presented in the past but was unable to explore due to contractual obligations with the UFC. Going forward, Aldo looks to change that:
“[I’ve had] boxing offers,” Aldo said. “I had some talks back in the day, but the UFC wouldn’t let me do it. My contract is almost over, so we can open negotiations again. But what I need is things on paper. I need them to keep it real. I can’t swing and miss. I want everything done the right way. I want to sit with (my manager) and study the best offers.”
Do you believe Jose Aldo will get his wish and be able to box while fighting in the UFC?
