Jose Aldo takes a shot at Conor McGregor, says he is ‘undeserving’ of his UFC ranking

The champion is getting into the trash talking game ahead of the big fight

The big fight may be just under five months away but the back and forth between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor has begun and the big surprise is that the Brazilian has started it. Aldo, normally a rare speaker to the media, seems to have learned that to get on in the UFC, getting headlines is no bad skill to have. So, in an interview with Globo, translated by Bloody Elbow, the champion has a few jabs at McGregor and the UFC ranking system. 'If you talk about rankings, I think he's [McGregor] undeserving. But, the rankings serve no fucking purpose, nobody fucking respects it, so this fight is good for me because of the money.' McGregor, ranked third, may quibble with that opinion, but Aldo acknowledges that he can learn a bit about promoting himself from the Dubliner. "I'm getting a taste for [trash talking]. We have to be provocative to sell fights, talk more, to know we'll be more profitable. It's important. The financial side is great for me, for the UFC, and for him." Aldo also addressed the big issue in MMA right now, PEDs. His stance couldn't exactly be described as hardline. "If an athlete uses something or not, I don't see any problem. I'm not going to crucify the guy if he is or isn't doped. That changes nothing to me. The same punch that hits a clean face hits a doped one." Now let's see if Notorious has a pop back...