Khabib Nurmagomedov, Max Holloway fire back at Jose Aldo over UFC 208, interim lightweight title
The landscapes of the UFC's featherweight and lightweight divisions grow more complex with each passing day.
On Tuesday, frustrated at the confusion raging within his division, reigning UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo broke his silence on a number of topics in a wide-ranging interview with MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani. Aldo said that he accepted a title unification bout on Feb. 11 at UFC 208 against interim featherweight champion Max Holloway, but that Holloway turned the fight down due to a lack of time to properly heal from his Dec. 10 victory over Anthony Pettis.
Aldo then said that he expected to fight in early March and that the UFC would likely "soon announce an interim lightweight title fight with me," with the ultimate goal being to set up a rematch against UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor. However, Aldo claimed that an undisclosed opponent for that interim title fight had already turned down the UFC's offer "because his father didn't think it was good." Aldo said he was waiting to see who else the UFC would find for him and expressed frustration with his potential opponents continually turning down fights.
Not surprisingly, it didn't take long for those words to reach Holloway. The new interim featherweight champion expressed outrage over Aldo's statements and railed against Aldo's track record of pulling out of fights with injuries.
So Waldo is now saying he always shows up and me and Conor are two faced and Khabib won’t fight him. #nowayjose
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) December 21, 2016
Issue w Waldo is not about turning down fights. its that he doesn’t actually show up #noShowseAldo
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) December 21, 2016
Wherever Waldo is hiding, they must not have internet https://t.co/Fxz39MQdZH
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) December 21, 2016
Holloway's management, SuckerPunch Entertainment, then posted a message on Wednesday morning to Facebook refuting Aldo and showing a photo of Holloway's injury, which is expected to prevent Holloway from training for six weeks.
Similarly, UFC lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov took to social media on Wednesday morning to respond to Aldo. In a lengthy Instagram post, Nurmagomedov seemed to indicate that he was the one who turned down the interim lightweight title fight against Aldo, explaining that, "I do not bully the little."
Nurmagomedov also advised Aldo, "do not fall for the mind games of the UFC."
This is not an altogether unfamiliar position for Nurmagomedov. The undefeated Dagestani contender was effectively used as a pawn by the UFC in the negotiations between McGregor and Eddie Alvarez for UFC 205, with the UFC even presenting Nurmagomedov with two bout agreements that never came to fruition.
Of late, Nurmagomedov has been using social media to attempt to set up a top contenders match-up against Tony Ferguson, though Ferguson on Tuesday explained on Twitter that he would not accept the fight for "peanuts."
Stop playing games. You told @danawhite you want the fight your manger not answering the phone let's keep I'm done no more taking https://t.co/2aMr5UCpIR
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) December 14, 2016
He Answered, I Answered... Both Accepted Now Need Fair Terms. I See You Doing @DanaWhite Work Now Lol #BestFriends #Payroll #MasterofPuppets https://t.co/atIQv1iREf
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) December 14, 2016
@TonyFergusonXT Fans asking for this fight. It's best thing can happen in LW division today. Stop hiding, accept challenge, be a man #ufc209
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) December 20, 2016
@Danawhite Must've Paid You Good With Your New Deal! You're Being Fairly Paid, Now It's My Turn. I Want This Fight, But Won't Take Peanuts https://t.co/YhKG0Wq8fo
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) December 20, 2016
MMA Fighting will continue to update this situation as it develops.