Despite once being bitter rivals, Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor now have an extremely strong relationship.
Back in 2015, Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor finally met in the Octagon to settle their long rivalry for the undisputed UFC featherweight title.
The fight marked the end of what was an extremely entertaining and hectic few months for the pair, as they completed a world tour of press conferences to promote their fight.
And during that time, Aldo built up so much of a hatred for ‘The Notorious’ Irishman that it ended up costing him his title as he was knocked out after just 13 seconds.
Aldo explains how his relationship with McGregor completely changed
Even years after their fight it was clear that the Brazilian legend still had a hatred for McGregor, although they never met in the Octagon again.
Despite that, the 39-year-old has explained that his relationship with McGregor has now drastically changed and they now have a strong friendship.
“What is my relationship with Conor like now? It’s very good,” Aldo told Jackpot City Casino.
“Not just with Conor, but with all my opponents, I’ve always had respect and a certain fondness for everyone. We exchange messages now and then. Recently I told him I was very happy he accepted Jesus as his saviour. I congratulated him and all that.”
Over the last few months, the Irishman has been extremely open regarding his faith and the spiritual journey he has been on after being ‘shown his death’ during trauma treatment.
“Brazilian fans feel strongly because of how our fight went and everything that happened. But I have a good relationship with him and I always wish him the best. I hope he continues on the right path and does great things in life,” Aldo continued.
Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images
The former UFC double champion is seemingly gearing up for his return to the cage despite having been snubbed of a return on the UFC White House card.
The 37-year-old is instead expected to fight on International Fight Week’s UFC 329 this coming July 11, and it is currently rumored that Max Holloway is the frontrunner to fight him in his return.
“If it happened now, I think it would be a great fight for both Conor and Holloway. Both are stand-up fighters, similar in age, it’s a great matchup and a great comeback opportunity for Conor,” Aldo stated.
2026-04-22 15:00:00
