D. Pederneiras (right) next to J. Aldo (left). Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @dede_pederneiras
While some people are concerned about the premiere of José Aldo In the bantamweight division (up to 61,2kg), the athlete's coach, Dedé Pederneiras, is already thinking about winning another belt for his victorious academy, 'Nova União'. For the UFC 245, which takes place this Saturday (14), when the Brazilian faces his compatriot Marlon moraes, the man from Manauara will have to undergo a severe weight cut, but the coach states that the process has been carried out with responsibility and medical supervision. In an interview with 'Combate', Pederneiras spoke about the debut of 'Campeão do Povo' in the new category.
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“(José) Aldo, since the fight with (Alexander) Volkanovski (May 2019), has not stopped training, something I have always said and say to all athletes. I spend my whole life trying to explain that you take a week off, 10 days, a month or so and then go back to training normally. For this fight, even due to the challenge of moving down a category, he put it in his head and practically changed one camp (training period) into another. He comes to the fight very well, prepared not only in weight, but physically for the fight”, said Dedé.
During the process of losing weight, Aldo's appearance caught the attention of fans, athletes and the specialized press. Visibly lighter, the athlete raised concerns about his health condition after undergoing an abrupt weight cut. However, Pederneiras stated that the entire process is being carried out responsibly and with the monitoring of specialized professionals to guarantee the integrity of the Brazilian.
“We have a doctor and a nutritionist who follows her work. So they, together with the UFC people, programmed the whole week here. We're getting food from the UFC people, I want to thank them for giving me an absurd relief. I don't need to do anything, I just take it (the food) from the fridge and heat it up. This part that Ultimate created for the event is perfect, it's a shame it doesn't exist for all events yet, but for us, it's wonderful,” she said.
In addition to the expectation for his debut, Aldo, this Saturday, will fulfill an old wish of Dedé, who stated that seeing his pupil playing in another division is an old wish. The coach stated that he had already projected José's performance in other divisions in the past, but there was never a real possibility.
“When we entered the WEC (World Extreme Cagefight, in 2008), in my head, Aldo could be champion in all three categories (bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight). When we came to the UFC (2011), we had the chance to compete in the top category, the lightweight category (up to 70,3kg), the Frankie Edgar, but Ultimate demanded that Aldo hand over the featherweight belt (up to 65,7kg.). We don't think it's fair and we don't accept it. If he had been given the chance, Aldo would have been champion in two categories and would be trying for the third”, revealed Pederneiras.
This Saturday, José begins his journey in search of the title that today belongs to Henry Cejudo. The champion has already revealed his desire to face Manauara, so a victory over Marlon moraes, who is first in the ranking, is essential for the 'People's Champion' to qualify to fight for the title.
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