UFC
UFC Champ Jose Aldo open to Chad Mendes or Cub Swanson next, still wants Anthony Pettis fight
Mar 5, 2014 - 10:25:04 AM UFC Champ Jose Aldo open to Chad Mendes or Cub Swanson next, still wants Anthony Pettis fight

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Jose Aldo will be sticking around the featherweight division for the time being, as the proposed bout with UFC Lightweight Champ Anthony Pettis ultimately didn't come together. With that, Aldo's waiting on the UFC's decision regarding just who he'll defend his title against next.

That next fight is likely to be a rematch with either Chad Mendes or Cub Swanson, and Aldo said this week that he's open to either fight.

"I think my next opponent can be [either] of them," Aldo said in an interview with Brazil's Combate.com (translated by Fernando Arbex at BloodyElbow.com). "They have been winning lately. Swanson not so much but Mendes won his last five fights so he is deserving. If I will have to fight with Swanson, I think he deserves too. Right now we are waiting the UFC define this. I think I will fight again in August or September."

With the delayed timetable for his return, Aldo said the UFC could make the decision easy and have Mendes and Swanson fight first.

"Put the two of them to fight [each other] and the problem is solved," Aldo said. "Let's do this and drop them out of the line. Bring the two of them so we can end this and call a third one."

Regardless of which of the two he fights next, Aldo still has his sights set on Pettis. The fight has been on the radar since last spring, but got delayed again with the UFC putting Pettis and Gilbert Melendez together next.

"I think not just me but everyone wants this fight, including him," Aldo said. "It would sell a lot. I think both of we want to do this fight. He had a knee surgery and now he will be a TUF coach, my change of division was suspended. But I think he wants. Based in what he talks, he wants, but in the backstage not so much. I don't know what happens. I hope he wants this, it would be good for me, for him, for everybody. If he doesn't want, we will catch him somehow."

Penick's Analysis: I think Mendes is the rightful top contender, but Swanson could be tossed in there because his fight with Aldo took place well before Mendes got his shot. Still, Swanson's not been in the cage for quite some time, whereas Mendes has been fairly busy. He's been much more visible, and has done nothing but win fights - most of them convincingly - since his loss to Aldo. As for the Pettis fight, one can only hope it actually comes together after it's been dangled in front of our faces, and not become just another GSP-Anderson Silva situation.