With Tyron Woodley vs Jake Paul just around the corner, many MMA fighters might well be checking their bank balance and wondering if a YouTube money fight is their way forward. Not Jose Aldo.
Aldo told MMAFighting.com that he finds the idea “humiliating”, and would rather focus on his legacy within MMA rather than making money outside of it. While he bears no ill will towards his fellow fighters pursuing a payday, the former featherweight champion doesn’t see beating up social media personalities in his future.
Jose Aldo Uninterested in “humiliating” boxing matches against YouTubers
“I respect everyone for doing these fights, especially when you’re in the end [of your career]. In the end, I think it’s worth making as much money as possible because, in general, they didn’t manage well their careers, so they are going down that path, and thank God this door has opened for them and they are making good money.
But Aldo? No. To me, that doesn’t make any sense and doesn’t get inside my head. I have always fought for a legacy, I’ve always fought to make history and have my story told, and have people say in 10, 20, 30 years from now, ‘Aldo was the greatest featherweight champion and went down to bantamweight and became champion as well.’
No money can buy that. To me, my legacy is worth way more than money.” Aldo reiterated that his legacy and integrity are his priorities at this late stage of his career. Aldo is enjoying something of a resurgence at bantamweight, and may well challenge for the bantamweight title in the near future.
“I make money in my fights since I got in the sport and I’ve always planned to, when I stop and retire tomorrow, I don’t have to do those things, which, to me, are humiliating.
For everything I’ve learned in martial arts, everything I’ve done, to sell myself for money? No, I’m a legacy guy. I want to be in the UFC. When I’m done fighting, I want it to be in the UFC.
I want to be in the Hall of Fame. I want to see my story told in the world’s biggest organization, not in one of these circuses. If it’s a [money fight] in the UFC, cool, I’ll do it. Outside of it, I wouldn’t.”
It’s clear that, for Jose Aldo, maintaining his loyalty to the sport he loves is more important than a quick payday fighting social media personalities. Do you think more fighters should be like Jose Aldo, or are they right to take one big payday before the end of their career? Let us know in the comments.
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