By Erik Engelhart
Photo Josh Hedges

WEC’s champion, and now UFC’s champion, José Aldo would make his debut on Ultimate on the 1st day of January, on UFC 125, but a back injury obligated him to cancel his participation on the show. Focused on his recovery process, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from Nova União believes that within a month he’ll be 100% to return to the trainings and that in March he’ll be able to do his first title defense on his new home. On an exclusive interview given to TATAME, Aldo talked abut his recovery, analyzed the defeat of Josh Grispi, who would be his opponent, to Poirier o UFC 125, and the anxiety of coming back to the rings. Check it here below.

How is your recovery process going? How do you feel now?

Thanks God everything’s going Just fine, i’m doing all the treatment, I’m focused on my phisiotherapy and I’m sure everything’s going to be ok.

When do you think you’ll be back?

I was supposed to do my first belt defense, but unfortunately I couldn’t do it, but I believe that within a month I’ll be 100%. I believe that in March I’ll be ready to defend my belt for the first time, but I’m still only doing physiotherapy.

You’d confront Josh Grispi, who was defeated by Dustin Poirier. Do you believe that after this defeat, the natural course is for you to confront Poirier?

Now I know it won’t happen, I don’t know who my opponent will be. With this defeat of Grispi, I have no idea of who it’ll be, there’ll be an event now on January 22nd, so let’s wait for it.

Were you surprised by Grispi’s loss?

Yes, I was. I hoped that he won. He had been defeated only once before that and I’d seen his bouts on WEC and he always have doe good presentations, but that’s it, each fight is unique and now let’s wait to see who my next opponent will be.

What changes with the growth of the competitors on the dispute for the belt after the fusion between UFC and WEC?

For me it won’t change a thing, I keep doing my job the same way, my days are the same they were when I fought o WEC, what have changed is the name. Before it was WEC and now it’s UFC and I try to see it that way so I can move on with my career.

Are you anxious for your first belt defense on UFC?

I was much more anxious, because I would fight in January, but I had to cancel it… Now I’m cooler with it, relaxed, just waiting for them to schedule my first belt defense on UFC.

How is your team dealing with the loss and the lost of the belt of Marlon Sandro on Sengoku?

I was really sad, but was last year and I’m sure there’re many good things reserved for him. He’s my brother, a guy who has always been there for me on the trainings and seeing him loosing the belt that way, fighting while hurt and against Dedé’s (Pederneira) will… He decided to fight, just like me, but he was a warrior, accepted the commitment and made a decision that was bad for him, but that’s a part of an athlete’s life and he’ll learn from it and it doesn’t end there. Nova União is very sad and I’m waiting for him to come back so that I can talk to him to know about this decision of fighting with a injured had, but we’ll support him and I’m sure he’ll make a good comeback.

How did you see the debut of your training partner, Diego Nunes, with a win over Mike Brow, who you’ve beaten on WEC?

I see it with great eyes since he’s a top athlete and deserved that position a long time ago. He went there and fought Brown, who’s a great fighter, and now he just have to keep doing things right on his career and have a title shot… Actually I don’t know how it’ll be because he’s my training partner and if one day I lose my belt I wish he gets it back because he’s a part of my team and he’s also my brother.

What are the expectations of Nova União to 2011? How many belts do you hope that your team conquest this year?

I hope many, right? 2010 was great, but we already have this year planed. When Dedé comes back from his trip we’ll talk and see what are the goals for 2011 and I’m sure everything’s going to be fine, I believe I’ll defend my belt, that Renan Barão is on his way for a title shot and that Marlon has the ability of regaining his belt bacl. O Shooto we’ll win it all too and we’ll try to keep Nova União on the top of the world.