Dana White says Aldo didn't fracture a rib: 'That was an old injury'

Aldo (photo) was cut from UFC 189 due to a rib injury. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

José Aldo and the UFC's top management definitely did not come to a consensus regarding the injury that took the Brazilian out of this Saturday's event (11), when he would face Conor McGregor. While the featherweight champion says he fractured his rib, the North American organization insists that the problem was simpler.

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At a press conference, UFC president Dana White stated that the injury shown in Aldo's examination was old and already calcified. According to him, the champion was capable of fighting, but his problem was being able to reach the weight limit with his physical limitations.

“What happened was that the photos published on the internet were of an old injury. It was an old lesion that had already calcified. The real injury was to the rib and cartilage. He had a bruised rib and cartilage, and the problem for Aldo in accepting the fight wasn't the fight itself, but the weight cut. He needed to cut around 10kg, so if he couldn't physically do what he normally does, he was afraid he wouldn't make weight. That was the problem. But he didn't have a fractured rib, it was just a bruise from an old injury,” White said.

Unable to participate in the fight, Aldo was replaced by Chad Mendes, which will face Conor McGregor for the interim belt in the featherweight division.

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