Jose Aldo's time in the UFC may be running out, but Aldo is already considering a second career as a boxer.
The former UFC featherweight champion recently spoke to ESPN and said he wants to be a boxer and could go down that path when his current UFC contract runs out. Aldo's current contract only has two fights left with one potential fight taking place next moth against Alexander Volkanovski.
"My plan is to fight Alexander Volkanovski on May 11," Aldo said. "Then I'll have only one fight left in my [UFC] contract, which I plan to have. But I already have another thing in mind: boxing.
Of course, Aldo wouldn't be the first mixed martial artist to make the jump to boxing. Conor McGregor, who bested Aldo in seconds in 2015 to win the UFC featherweight title, famously fought Floyd Mayweather in a boxing fight in 2017, but McGregor was stopped by Mayweather in the 10th round of their fight, which boasted one of the highest pay-per-view buyrates in history.
McGregor's interest in boxing was to have the fight against Mayweather, but Aldo doesn't plan on calling any one boxer out to a fight and said he is willing to start from the bottom.
"I want to push myself. I'm not here for a specific match. I won't call anyone out. I want to start from the bottom, really push myself, get ranked and who knows ... fight for the title one day. Of course, my name already puts me ahead of lots of guys," Aldo said.
Another thing that may alter Aldo's plans to box is his desire to fight for another UFC title. Aldo said he is willing to negotiate another contract with UFC so long as he is given the opportunity to also box.
"Everything is about the negotiation. We are open to discuss," Aldo said. "We can always have a conversation and try to find the best possible way to do it. I don't see a problem in [re-signing with the UFC and being able to box]. I don't see myself fighting MMA elsewhere but the UFC."
A number of boxers have made the jump to MMA and competed in top promotions, including Holly Holm, Heather Hardy, Amanda Serrano, but it's not often that notable MMA fighters, especially competing in the UFC, would transition to boxing.
But before Aldo can think of boxing professionally, he will have to check and see if he is going to be able to fight Volkanovski. Aldo was recently released from the hospital after suffering a from a bacterial infection in his knee. Despite being released from the hospital, Aldo doesn’t know if his upcoming bout against Volkanovski at UFC 237 will still happen.
