UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was disappointed in the manner of how Jose Aldo took defeat in their UFC 212 showdown
Holloway took the strap from Aldo in front of a home crowd in Brazil, unifying the 145-pound title by way of a third round TKO.
Following Frankie Edgar’s withdrawal from their highly anticipated main event bout at UFC 218 next month, Aldo was drafted in to face Holloway. According to “Blessed”, he didn’t care who got the gig (via ESPN):
“I heard a lot of names — Cub Swanson, Ricardo Lamas, Brian Ortega, Darren Elkins, Tony Ferguson, Conor McGregor,” Holloway said of the search for a new opponent. “I told [the UFC] I didn’t care. They already know I don’t care. All I ask is to send me a contract.”
Holloway is looking forward to facing the Brazilian legend once more, especially since Aldo’s tasteless excuses in the aftermath of his loss to the Hawaiian:
“Our first fight, I don’t know what people are watching, but some say I was losing until I dropped him in the third,” he said. “Those must be some hardcore Aldo fans. But he’s been one of the best guys for years, so to show I’m the best in back-to-back fights, sign me up.
“That was kind of cowardly to me,” Holloway said with reference to Aldo’s camp claiming he was carrying an injury into the fight. “To say something like that and take away from someone’s win. I’ve never taken away from someone’s win. I just thought it was silly.
“Hopefully he doesn’t have an injury this time, and hopefully he kicks more. Kicks don’t — the guy was dead tired in the second round. There’s a feeling in there when a guy is falling off.
“His mouth was open. I was able to taunt him. I Stockton-slapped him, and from then on I knew, ‘Wow, this guy is not really moving anymore.’ That was the time to turn up the heat, and that’s what we did.”
