Aldo says unbeaten Evloev 'boring,' deserves to be cut if he loses

Retired UFC featherweight legend Jose Aldo (40, Brazil) has unleashed sharp criticism at unbeaten contender Movsar Evloev (32, Russia), who holds a perfect 20-0 record, saying his dull, low-entertainment style means he should be cut from the promotion if he ever suffers his first loss.

In an interview with MMA Fighting on Wednesday, Aldo said Evloev is "not a fighter who catches my attention" and argued that the UFC should not evaluate fighters on wins and rankings alone.

"The UFC is not an organization that just follows rankings. It's a business and entertainment," Aldo said, adding that if he were running the UFC he would not even give Evloev a title shot. He said that while Evloev may be capable of beating every opponent he faces, he would end the fighter's contract upon his first defeat.

In Aldo's view, there is simply no reason to keep giving opportunities to a fighter who bores fans and fails to generate interest.

Evloev carries a 20-0 record in mixed martial arts and is 10-0 inside the UFC. All 10 of those UFC victories, however, have come by decision. He defeated Lerone Murphy of Britain by decision in March but has yet to record a knockout or submission win in the promotion.

He will challenge featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski of Australia in the main event of UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Saturday.

Aldo held up two fellow Brazilians as contrasting examples: Jailton Almeida and Alex Pereira.

He praised Almeida as a fighter who, despite losing three times, always moves forward aggressively and gives the crowd something to watch. He also lauded Pereira, saying that while Pereira still has areas to improve across his overall MMA skill set, his heavy striking and knockout power drive fans wild.

Aldo's remarks come amid a broader debate in the UFC over the relationship between winning records and marketability. Bantamweight Farid Basharat of Afghanistan compiled a 16-0 MMA record and went 7-0 in the UFC, yet failed to re-sign with the promotion after his contract expired.

UFC CEO Dana White suggested there were valid reasons for not renewing the deal, but Basharat rebuffed any suggestion that he had turned down fights or been uncooperative with the organization.

Welterweight and middleweight Michael Page of Britain also went 5-1 in the UFC but did not re-sign after his contract expired last month.

Aldo also expressed irritation over Evloev's recent comments referencing the doping test histories and performance changes of former champions including Aldo himself and Anderson Silva. Aldo rebuffed the insinuation, saying he underwent countless tests throughout his career without any issue.

Aldo said his support for Volkanovski in the upcoming title fight is not solely driven by Evloev's remarks. He said he has no problem with Volkanovski matching or surpassing his own UFC featherweight title defense record, adding that he simply wants fighters to reach the top and build successful careers.