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Now that it has been confirmed UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor will rematch Nate Diaz in a welterweight affair at UFC 200, the planet’s premier mixed martial arts promotion has offered up the easiest solution to resolve the logjam in the 145-pound division – an interim title.
In this week’s edition of “UFC Tonight,” it was announced former featherweight champ Jose Aldo (pictured) and Frankie Edgar will vie for the manufactured crown at UFC 200.
After getting upset by Diaz earlier this month, McGregor initially said he intended to drop back down to defend his featherweight throne in his next outing. Aldo and Edgar were both aggressively campaigning for the gig.
Now that McGregor has decided he wanted an immediate sequel with Diaz, it was only logical that if an interim title bout was arrange, it would be Aldo and Edgar battling for the honors.
Aldo was last seen in December unconscious on the canvas after eating McGregor’s left hand at UFC 194. The most anticipated featherweight scrap in MMA history lasted all of 13 seconds.
The loss marked Aldo’s first in 19 outings, a torrid span the Brazilian ignited in 2006. Nine of those wins were of the title defense variety (WEC and UFC).
Edgar represented one of Aldo’s successful title defenses. Aldo took a unanimous decision over Edgar in February 2013 at UFC 156. “The Answer” has rebounded nicely by winning his past five tangos.
UFC 196 goes down inside the brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here is the card’s current lineup:
Takanori Gomi vs. Jim Miller
Joe Lauzon vs. Diego Sanchez
Gegard Mousasi vs. Derek Brunson
Cain Velasquez vs. Travis Browne
Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar (For UFC interim featherweight title)
Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor
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