Jose Aldo Changes His Stance On Trash Talk

In an interview with MMA Junkie, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo appeared to have changed his stance on trash talking before UFC fights. He was initially against it but now he seems to see things differently. Here are highlights:

On what he thinks of trash talk now: “I think (trash talk is) great. That’s what sells fights. That’s what brings us money. We’re in a generation that’s totally different from when I began in the sport. When I started in the sport, with the athletes and fighters, there was honor and respect among us – the whole fight philosophy. There’s high-end fighters, and then there’s real fighters. Today, if you don’t talk and provoke, you’re not going to fight anyone. You’re just going to stay in the end of the line because the rankings are no good. What really gets you somewhere is to talk about your opponent and sell your fight. That’s what matters today. I think that’s totally normal. My fight (against McGregor), I made a lot of money, so that’s what I think about today. I think about being the champion I always was, having this honor and respect in all these things I’ve learned, but I don’t need to maintain this good boy status. I need to get in there and talk trash.”

On how things have changed: “The athletes are really the matchmakers these days. If the athletes go out and talk trash, the fight’s going to happen. I think it’s valid. I think it’s normal. When the fight is over, we each go our separate ways, but we’re going to have our pockets full, and that’s all that matters.”

On his fight at UFC 212: “I need to fight this fight, and once I win, I’m thinking of taking another path. I think this division is a little bit stopped, but also the lightweight division. We tried to close a fight (at that weight) but it didn’t happen. Right now, I’m focused on my next fight, and once we win, I already have a few fights in mind I would like to make happen. I want super fights. I want to challenge other athletes. You can be sure that once we win, I have it all planned in my head.”