With Conor McGregor set to be out for at least another year following his disastrous UFC 329 return, fans may have to wait a long time to see the Irishman compete again. McGregor suffered a serious knee injury just 69 seconds into his rematch with Max Holloway.
McGregor has since undergone surgery to repair a torn meniscus and ACL. He has also continued to share updates on social media while holding onto hopes of completing the final fight on his current UFC contract, potentially against Holloway. One interesting aspect of the fight was that it took place at welterweight, marking Holloway’s debut in the division.
Many saw that as an advantage for McGregor, who already had a 2-1 record at 170lbs, including a win over Nate Diaz and a knockout victory over Donald Cerrone. However, things quickly went south for the Irishman. That is also why Jose Aldo wants McGregor to consider moving back down to lightweight if and when he returns to the Octagon.
Jose Aldo Thinks Conor McGregor Could Find Success by Returning to Lightweight
Speaking to MMA Fighting, the Brazilian said, “Yeah, I think first he needs to go through some dietary re-education to see if he can get back down and be lighter again.”
The former 145lbs champion added, “I think, in my opinion, he has the frame for 155, so it would be good. And I’ll tell you this: today, if Conor fights at 155 and beats a name [that isn’t necessarily at the top], the division is wide open again.”
Aldo pointed to Ilia Topuria’s shocking loss in June and Justin Gaethje’s retirement tease as reasons why the lightweight division currently feels stuck. McGregor went 7-0 at 145lbs and famously knocked out Aldo in his final fight at featherweight at UFC 194. He then moved up to lightweight, where he captured the title by knocking out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, before eventually competing at welterweight as well.
View this post on Instagram
ALSO READ:“Back to the Office” – Ilia Topuria Begins Training Amid UFC Return Speculation
However, lightweight is also where McGregor has struggled the most. Since 2018, he has lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 and suffered two defeats against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 and UFC 264. His overall record at 155lbs currently stands at 1-5.
That could explain why McGregor’s camp has described 170lbs as a more comfortable weight class for the Irishman, especially as he gets older and continues to add size. Aldo, however, does not appear convinced.
Jose Aldo wants to see Conor McGregor back at lightweight after his “sad” injury against Max Holloway
“He has the frame for 155. … If Conor fights at 155 and beats a name [that isn’t necessarily at the top], the division is wide open again.”
(🎥 @guicruzzz) pic.twitter.com/cGQI0IC75c
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) September 29, 2026
He added, “His frame has also gotten much bigger, he’s gained a lot of weight and muscle mass, so we don’t know what he’s going to be like when he comes back. But I always hope for the best, so I hope that tomorrow he’s doing well physically and psychologically, too, and that he can return to the UFC and have great fights again.”
Aldo also admitted that he was sad to see McGregor’s return get derailed in such a brutal fashion, especially with fans expecting a full fight after tuning in. For now, McGregor is expected to be sidelined for at least a year and may only seriously consider a return after August 2027.
It remains to be seen whether the former two-division champion sticks with welterweight or takes Aldo’s advice and makes another run at 155lbs.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
