Aldo reacts to Khabib's criticism: 'Sooner or later he would have lost too if he hadn't run away'

Former UFC titleholder Jose Aldo commented on the criticism directed at him by former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Russian had earlier said that the 35-year-old Brazilian had long since passed his peak and was now competing for money.

"What Khabib said struck me as disrespectful. I don't know why he despises my win over Pedro Munoz. Khabib says I'm done and I don't have a chance to be champion anymore. He remembered my defeat to Petr Yan, but defeats are also part of this sport. Khabib would have lost sooner or later too if he hadn't run away when he became champion. In fact, we never had a problem with him.

"I even offered to come out to replace Ferguson in a fight with him, but he declined. You realize that ending your career was a mistake and now you're trying to diminish the merits of other veterans.

"In 10-20 years I won't regret anything because I'm performing here and now, and Khabib will ask himself: "If I had kept performing, could I have become the greatest fighter of all time?" That's what's gnawing at him from the inside," The Mirror quoted the Brazilian as saying.

Aldo last fought on August 7 at UFC 265, winning by unanimous decision over Pedro Munoz.