ALDO: CUT "BORING" EVLOEV After His FIRST LOSS
“I'd wait for him to lose for the first time and then cut him.”
José Aldo says the unbeaten No. 1 contender does not sell or entertain — and never should have received Saturday's UFC 333 title shot.
"I'd wait for him to lose for the first time and then cut him."
That is José Aldo on Movsar Evloev, speaking to MMA Fighting this week. The King of Rio did not soften it, and he did not take it back.
Evloev challenges Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title on Saturday at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. He is 20-0 as a pro and 10-0 in the UFC.
The Business Case
Aldo's argument is simple. Rankings alone should not run the UFC, because the promotion is a business built on entertainment.
"It's a business, it's entertainment," Aldo said. He added that if he were the president, he would never put Evloev in a title fight.
Evloev is ranked No. 1 in the division. All ten of his UFC wins came by decision, over names like Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen and Diego Lopes.
"I'd wait for him to lose for the first time and then cut him."
Why This One Is Personal
This did not start this week. Evloev earlier claimed Aldo was great until doping tests arrived — "then he went down."
Aldo rejected that claim in the same interview. He pointed to his own testing history, and he credited Conor McGregor's punch for his famous loss, not anything else.
There is also a record on the line Saturday. Volkanovski and Aldo sit tied at eight UFC title-fight wins each — and Aldo still backs Volkanovski, even if the champion passes him.
The Other Side
Evloev has heard the boring label for years. In an October 18 interview, he said winning still comes first, and high-level wrestling can be exciting on its own.
He also said he has worked on creating more finishes. His plan remains clear: use the wrestling, wear Volkanovski down, then open up with strikes.
Not Just Talk
Aldo's world already exists. The UFC recently parted ways with Farid Basharat, who was 16-0 as a pro and 7-0 in the UFC.
Winning every fight did not save Basharat's roster spot. That is the exact warning Aldo is sending Evloev, four days before the biggest fight of his life.
So is Aldo right — or does Evloev take the belt on Saturday, stay perfect, and become the hardest champion in the sport to sell?
