Jose Aldo Reportedly Out 45 Days After UFC 176, Rematch With Chad Mendes Can Still Happen

August 2’s upcoming UFC 176 pay-per-view (PPV) event from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, was dealt a shocking blow last Wednesday (July 2, 2014) when news broke that UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo had been forced out of his awaited main event rematch with No. 1-ranked Chad Mendes.

The finding left the card without a clear-cut main event for the time being. The evening’s middleweight co-main event between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Gegard Mousasi is a great fight for sure, but it just doesn’t have the star power needed to carry an entire PPV.

After No. 3-ranked Frankie Edgar destroyed BJ Penn in the main event of last night’s (Jul 6, 2014) The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 19 Finale from the Mandalay Bay Events Center, there was talk at the post-fight press conference that Edgar could possibly step into Aldo’s spot to face Mendes in a title eliminator bout.

But UFC President Dana White was quick to dispel those notions, noting that Aldo suffered a neck injury that will heal up relatively quickly, leaving him able to fight around 45 days from UFC 176’s August 2 date:

“Aldo is going to be out 45 days – the Mendes/Aldo fight can still happen. He always has neck injuries. He always has the neck. He has to do some sort of workout and neck thing. I don’t know what it is. I’m not educated about it; I don’t know what I’m talking about. He’s not ready. He’ll be ready 45 days later. Forty-five days after (UFC 176) he’ll be OK to fight.”

From the sound of things, Aldo could be able to potentially face off with Mendes on an October PPV card. Overall, that’s a good thing. Mendes has won five straight fights with four knockouts since losing to Aldo in the main event of UFC 142 back in January 2012. It’s safe to say that “Money” is a completely different fighter now, and has legitimately earned his next shot at the belt.

And with Edgar and No. 2-ranked Cub Swanson, who put in a telling performance by defeating Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 44, both clamoring to get a shot at Aldo, the champion suddenly has a lot of work to do

Problem is, he’s beat all three of them before. But the 145-pound division is stacked to the ceiling with talent, and Aldo hasn’t exactly looked like the world-beater he was in WEC or even his earlier UFC days.

With nagging injuries and hungry competitors lining up, will the following year signal Aldo’s demise, or will it simply be his finest hour?

Photo: Gary A. Vasquez for USA TODAY Sports