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UFC champ Jose Aldo: Media misinterpreted my IV-ban comments

LAS VEGAS – UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo said the media misinterpreted his comments regarding the upcoming ban on IV rehydration.

“Sometimes I say something to the journalists in Brazil, and the moment the guys translate that, my interview is almost totally wrong,” he told MMAjunkie on Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who meets interim champ Conor McGregor (18-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Dec. 12 in UFC 194’s pay-per-view headliner, said he was joking when he essentially thumbed his nose at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which oversees the UFC’s new out-of-competition testing program and will enforce the IV ban starting Oct. 1.

“They came here saying oral rehydration is better, but I don’t know how they came up with that,” Aldo said during a press conference in Brazil. “Any sick person that goes to a hospital, the first thing they do is an IV.

“I will continue to do an IV. I don’t care. I’ll tell them I’m going to eat and do it instead. I don’t f-cking care about them. They won’t take me out of the fight anyway.”

It certainly appeared as though the champ was serious, but he said a smile should’ve made it clear that he wasn’t.

“Everybody knows if you have the rules, you need to follow the rules and do exactly what you need to do,” he said.

This past week, UFC VP of Athlete Health and Development Jeff Novitzky said he met recently with Aldo in Brazil and the champ apologized to him for his comments at the press gathering.

“He said it was just one of those days where he was in a certain mood, maybe a little bit joking, maybe a little bit pissed off about something else, and said those things,” Novitzky said. “He said he shouldn’t have and doesn’t believe (that).”

Aldo goes into greater detail about his history with IV rehydration and indicates the shift in policy will have an effect on him. However, he believes there will be a bigger effect on McGregor.

Check out the above video to see why Aldo thinks his rival will be more affected by the ban and his thoughts on the buildup to UFC 194.

And for more on UFC 194, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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