Opinion: Does Jose Aldo Deserve a Rematch?

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

Jose Aldo has taken a firm stance by stating he will accept no fight other than a rematch with Conor McGregor for the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title. It makes sense for the longtime pound-for-pound great to want an immediate rematch, but if Aldo doesn’t soften his stance, he could find himself on the sidelines for a while.

The manner in which Aldo lost to McGregor in December serves as a case both for and against his rematch request. On one hand, a 13-second knockout can be viewed more as a lucky punch than, say, the two-round beatdown Holly Holm served to Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. More than any other sport, an MMA bout can end in a flash. While skill is always necessary, there are times in which the perfect punch trumps everything. Obviously, nobody in his or her right mind predicted that McGregor would end Aldo’s reign the way he did. No one knows how the fight would have played out over the course of five rounds, had it gotten that far.

Here’s the problem Aldo: For all the hype leading up to the fight, he did get knocked out in 13 seconds against a man who has been calling his shots lately. Ultimately, Aldo was defeated before he ever stepped into the Octagon with the Irishman, and McGregor should be given credit for his work. McGregor’s game plan of altering Aldo’s mind state by the time the fight started was a brilliant strategy that paid off in dividends. Aldo should only be mad at himself for allowing McGregor to tap into his psyche and dictate how the fight was going to play out. As they say, don’t hate the player, hate the game.

What’s worse, though, a flash knockout or a long, drawn-out beatdown? In my opinion, the answer is easy: a beatdown.

When another fighter’s strategy dominates you, there’s nothing “lucky” about it. Rousey was never going to beat Holm on Nov. 14. Holm’s strategy was far too impenetrable for Rousey and her rudimentary boxing skills to get through. Although Luke Rockhold’s victory over Chris Weidman was a bit more competitive than Rousey-Holm, the same can be said for how Rockhold was handling Weidman at UFC 194. Fabricio Werdum had owned Cain Velasquez for two-plus rounds when the two met in Mexico, and it was only a matter of time before the fight would end.

I know, I know, Rousey, Velasquez and Weidman were all beaten down and are well-positioned for immediate rematches. However, here’s the biggest factor that ruins Aldo’s demands: Frankie Edgar.

Making a case for Rousey getting an immediate rematch is easy when you look at what she has done to the field. Her ownership of Miesha Tate in their pair of fights easily leapfrogs her back into the top spot; and as far as money-making opportunities go, Rousey trumps Tate. Velasquez has practically mauled every other heavyweight, and given the altitude factor in the first meeting with Werdum, along with the possible revenue involved, a rematch made sense. Granted, you can gripe that Stipe Miocic deserved that spot, but there was reason to believe that Miocic still needed to earn his No. 1 contender status against Andrei Arlovski. He did so in resounding fashion. As for Weidman, he’s only getting the opportunity because Yoel Romero decided to cheat. Otherwise, Weidman would be on the sidelines.

Edgar deserves his spot and was leapfrogged by Conor McGregor. Although Edgar was unhappy with the fact that he didn’t get the title shot, he went out and demolished Chad Mendes in a No. 1 contender bout at “The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale” in December to earn his crack at the championship. Yes, Edgar has lost to Aldo, but it was relatively competitive. Since losing to Aldo, Edgar has mauled his competition like a man possessed. How can you deny this man a shot at the title?

Apparently, Aldo believes he should get the rematch. His case makes sense if it wasn’t for the existence of Edgar in the featherweight division. He’s also coming off as awfully bitter for a man who was knocked out in record-breaking time. Losing sucks, but it’s made worse when all that hype ends with one punch in a matter of seconds. There’s also the lingering issue that Aldo isn’t much of a draw on pay-per-view. McGregor has proven to be the cash cow, and whether he fights Edgar, Aldo or a can of paint, it doesn’t really matter. If Aldo remains on the bench, the UFC won’t worry much about losing out on a big opportunity. It’s really that simple.

Don’t blame the UFC, Jose. Instead, blame yourself.

Andreas Hale is a content producer for Jay Z’s LifeandTimes.com and editor-in-chief of PremierWuzHere.com, as well as a frequent Sherdog.com columnist. Check out his archive here.

Does Jose Aldo Deserve a Rematch?

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