LAS VEGAS–Jose Aldo earned himself a revenge shot at Conor McGregor on Saturday night, clinching the Universal Fighting Championship (UFC) interim featherweight title with a comprehensive victory over Frankie Edgar.
The Brazilian outdueled Edgar in a tense and tactical encounter at UFC 200, winning a unanimous decision 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 on the judges’ scorecards.
Aldo will now likely get a chance to redeem himself for his 13-second loss to McGregor at UFC 194 in December, where he lost both his cool and his 10-year unbeaten run.
McGregor, at his raucous press conference on Thursday, insisted he was heading straight back to featherweight to defend his title after he battles Nate Diaz in a rematch at UFC 202 in August. The Irishman sat at ringside to watch the action.
Another duel with Aldo would be widely anticipated.
“Frankie is a great athlete and I respect him, but I have one goal,” Aldo said, pointing at McGregor. “It is to beat [that] guy.”
Against Edgar, there was little of consequence landed for most of the first round, until an absorbing flurry erupted in the final minute. Edgar and Aldo both attempted spinning kicks simultaneously and only collided with each other’s feet.
Edgar, so patient from the opening four minutes, rushed in late and was dropped by an Aldo punch. Things would only get worse.
This was more about tactics than brawling. Slowly, Aldo took control, negotiating Edgar’s rushing advances and landing accurate strikes of his own. Aldo was the only featherweight champion in the organization’s history until he was knocked out by McGregor, and looked to be near his best here.
Later this year, or maybe early next, he should get a chance to reassert his authority on the featherweight division, and to silence McGregor, his tormentor.
Martin Rogers
Image credits: AP