Frankie Edgar took some shots recently at Jose Aldo regarding rumors of yet another injury, ripping his UFC 200 opponent over his history of pulling out of fights.
Aldo had the chance to respond during a UFC 200 media day in Rio de Janeiro this week, and he mostly brushed it aside.
“You have to know if you’re injured or not before talking,” Aldo said (via MMAFighting.com). “I couldn’t care less what he says or doesn’t say. I know I’m training hard here. I will be in great shape in the fight. I’m hungry to win this fight. There was no fight last time [against Conor McGregor], so we’ll see.
“I couldn’t care less. F*** him. I don’t care. I care about my gym and my training. We’ll settle that face to face.”
Aldo doesn’t believe in the narrative that Edgar’s made significant strides since their first meeting, and believes instead that he’s going to be far too much for Edgar to handle on July 9.
“My striking. He won’t even see me,” Aldo said. “If he thinks he’s fast, it’s a whole different speed. He will be frustrated standing in there.
“[Edgar] was doing five-round fights, except the last one. Chad [Mendes] was better, controlling the fight, and [Edgar] connected a punch and it’s over. I don’t see this big evolution, no. He’s adapting to the weight cut, but outside of that, I don’t see a big deal. He thinks he’s fast, but I don’t see him being that fast.”
Penick’s Analysis: Aldo getting some fire back after his first loss in ages could potentially be a very good thing for him and a very bad thing for his opponents. Of course, he might very well be wrong about Edgar’s progression since that first fight, and coming off a loss the likes of which he suffered against Conor McGregor may have him in a very vulnerable spot as well. It’s part of what makes this fight so compelling at UFC 200, and though both may have been better served getting their respective cracks at McGregor first this fight itself should be fantastic on July 9.
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