Jose Aldo willing to fight Henry Cejudo at bantamweight

Former featherweight king Jose Aldo believes he can make 135 pounds in the UFC. | Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

It would take a few wins — and some changes in the featherweight landscape, like Max Holloway losing the title — for Jose Aldo to get another crack at the UFC featherweight belt he held for years, so he’s interested in moving to another weight class for a title shot.

The Nova Uniao fighter, who mentioned his desire to fight at lightweight many times throughout his entire UFC career, has now shifted his focus down to bantamweight to meet two-division champion Henry Cejudo.

“I sat down with everybody, did a study, and I think there’s a real possibility I can make 61kg [135 pounds],” Aldo told Brazilian website Combate. “This is the new division I want to move to, and I’m asking for the title shot right away. That’s what matters for me now. Cejudo said he’s open to (fighting) anyone, so I’m open to that. I want the opportunity to fight against him and beat him.”

Aldo says he usually weights around 163 pounds when he’s off camp, and never weighed over 170 pounds when he’s training hard and taking supplements in camp.

The Brazilian star last fought in May, losing a decision to Alexander Volkanovski in Rio de Janeiro. Aldo, who finished Jeremy Stephens and Renato Moicano in his previous bouts, is excited with the idea of facing someone like Cejudo, who went 3-0 since 2018 with wins over Demetrious Johnson, T.J. Dillashaw and Marlon Moraes.

“He’s an Olympic champion, a great athlete, and I respect his history a lot,” Aldo said. “He deserves everything he’s winning, he has his merits. If the UFC thinks it’s a great fight, I think they’ll want that, it’s a huge challenge. He’s been talking after defeating (Moraes) that he was open to fighting big names. Since he’s open, it’s the green light.”

“Nobody expected him to beat (Moraes) on the feet, you have to respect that,” he added. “To me that’s great, it’s a good size for me, he has a fighting style that please me, that matches up well with my game. If it’s against him or not, I think about being adapted to the weight, fast and strong, which will be my differential in this division.”

Cejudo is currently recovering from a shoulder surgery that will likely keep him sidelined for the remaining of the year.