UFC
Trainer: Featherweight Champ Jose Aldo won't move to lightweight without an immediate title shot
Jan 17, 2012 - 4:00:39 PM Trainer: Featherweight Champ Jose Aldo won't move to lightweight without an immediate title shot

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC Featherweight Champ Jose Aldo's first round knockout of Chad Mendes last weekend at UFC 142 immediately brought about conversation about a potential move to the lightweight division. UFC President Dana White said at the post fight press conference that he'd be fine with that move if Aldo wanted to undertake the move up, and many fans have called to see the 145 lb. Champ make a move to 155 lbs.

However, it's not a move that's necessarily going to happen anytime soon, if at all, especially if Aldo's manager/trainer Andre Pederneiras has his way.

"If it depends on me, it won’t happen," Pederneiras said in an interview with Sherdog.com this week. "Unless he leaves the team to train somewhere else and someone agrees with that, because I will not. It won’t happen for now, unless he goes straight for a title shot. Not, 'Oh no, he left the featherweight belt, moved up to lightweight and started from the beginning,' no way."

For now, the Lightweight Title will be on the line at the end of February in the UFC 144 main event between Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson. After that, we'll have to see what happens.

Penick's Analysis: Of course, a matchup between Aldo and Edgar or Henderson is a salivating prospect for MMA fans, and if the UFC feels they don't have a legitimate #1 contender for the lightweight title in either Melvin Guillard or Jim Miller, or in the featherweight division yet for Aldo, it's certainly a fight that could be put together. There's no reason for Aldo to leave the division if he isn't having issues making the weight, because he's fantastic where he's at right now. He's either going to face The Korean Zombie, or possibly Dustin Poirier next, or he the UFC will see if he's interested in going up to fight the winner of Edgar-Henderson. It would make for a huge lightweight fight, but I don't think that's what we're going to see.