Jose Aldo’s Coach Teases ‘Something Really Big Coming Up’ In Boxing

Fans of Jose Aldo may not have to wait much longer to find out what his first foray into boxing will look like.

While Jose Aldo may be retired from MMA competition, the featherweight GOAT has made it clear that he plans on fighting outside the cage in other combats sports. Boxing, grappling, and muay thai were all listed as possibilities. And according to Aldo’s longtime coach Andre Pederneiras, ‘something really big’ is on the horizon for “Scarface.”

Pederneiras spoke with Sherdog recently, and made it clear that Aldo was not interested in fielding any offers from other MMA promotions.

“Aldo had one fight on his contract with the biggest promotion in the world, where he built all his history,” Pederneiras said. “No matter the financial proposal, it wouldn’t make any sense for him. Especially since Aldo is already financially comfortable for the rest of his life. He never considered returning in another MMA promotion.”

“I have no doubt that boxing and muay thai bring much more pleasure to Aldo in his daily routine,” he added. “MMA training is not only physically stressful but also mentally.”

One potential boxing opponent for Aldo is Acelino “Popó” Freitas, a four time boxing world champion turned politician. Freitas fought on the recent Fight Music Show 2 card (which also featured Cris Cyborg’s boxing debut), knocking out another MMA legend, José “Pelé” Landi-Jons. Immediately after, he called out Aldo.

“There is something really big coming up for Aldo,” Pederneiras teased. “Maybe one day a fight with Popó can be interesting, but it’s not at that moment.”

That’s a gentler refusal than Aldo himself gave. When asked what he thought of Freitas’ callout on a talk show, Aldo called the 47-year-old fat.

“Ugly boy, this paunchy old man only needs one round to knock you out,” Freitas replied. “I want to see how long he will run.”

Aldo retired from active UFC competition following a disappointing loss to Merab Dvalishvili that effectively ended his days as a title contender. Without a viable route back to the belt, Aldo decided to step away from the sport.

Initial reports suggested he’d reached a deal with the UFC to release him from his contract, which still had one fight left, so he could compete in other sports. However, Aldo recently clarified that he’s still under contract with the UFC, but they were allowing him to pursue other non-MMA endeavors.