In this exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Pederneiras touches on the Aldo-McGregor showdown, the futures of Renan Barao and Hacran Dias, the upcoming Frankie Edgar-Chad Mendes clash and the looming rematch between Claudia Gadelha and UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk:
Sherdog.com: After the last fight with McGregor was postponed because of Aldo’s rib injury a few weeks before the event, he put a lot of pressure on you all by saying he was also hurt but decided to fight anyway. Chael Sonnen last week claimed that Aldo was injured, according to one of his sources, but you said he was mistaken. Are you all doing anything different during this camp to avoid injuries?
Pederneiras: Actually, we have a way of thinking and training that we are not going to change, no matter what happens. If McGregor decided to fight hurt, that’s not our business. He’s just arrived in this sport and can say and think whatever he wants. We’ve been in this business for a long time. I worked hard for a long time to build my team and my philosophy, and that’s what matters to me. Before we decided to pull out of the fight, we tried hard to make it happen. Aldo had all kinds of treatments because he wanted to fight so much. It was my decision to take him out. The doctor told me the fracture was serious. Aldo underwent a PRP procedure that looked almost like a surgery to me. It was really painful, but unfortunately, it was not enough to permit him to function normally. What McGregor says doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters to me is that both sides are treated the same way. The rules have to be the same for both.
Sherdog.com: The Combate channel is showing “The Ultimate Fighter 22” in Brazil. In the last episode, McGregor’s team earned a draw with American Top Team, and he also showed his intelligence by pitting Urijah Faber and T.J. Dillashaw against one another. In analyzing this episode, can you find any weak points in McGregor’s personality or technique that Aldo can exploit?
Pederneiras: I’ll be 100 percent sincere with you. I haven’t seen any episode of the show. I was in the house for one day with Aldo, but I don’t know anything about the program. I have no doubt that Conor is a very intelligent guy and he’s a good athlete, so we’re preparing to face the toughest fight of Aldo’s career. I don’t mean that he’s the toughest opponent, but we have a philosophy that the next fight is always the toughest. McGregor is an intelligent guy. If this was a war of words, I wouldn’t put Aldo against him because he speaks well and is pretty unpredictable. Once this becomes and MMA fight and they exchange kicks and punches, I hope he is well-prepared because Aldo will beat him badly.
Sherdog.com: How is the Nova Uniao team dealing with the new IV rule after three months?
Pederneiras: Actually, my fighters started using IVs five years ago. Basically, what we’ve been doing is leaving more weight to lose close to the fight, so we’re going back to what we were doing before. It’s just a change in strategy.
Sherdog.com: In terms of weight cuts, are your biggest concerns Aldo, Barao and Dias?
Pederneiras: Unlike most people think, Aldo is not a really heavy fighter. When he’s out of training, he weighs 73 kilograms. He fights in the 66-kilogram category, which means he has around seven kilograms to lose. Aldo starts to get heavier when he starts training and uses supplements, and his body puts on muscle. He complains a lot because he doesn’t like to cut weight, but I don’t see any problem keeping him in that division. Barao and Hacran have to cut more weight, so we’re still considering what to do. It’s a normal adaptation process that will take about six months. Whoever has to go up will go up. The most important thing is the fighter’s health.
Sherdog.com: Concerning Barao, UFC President Dana White believes that Dillashaw has gotten into his head and that some athletes have a hard time dealing with those kinds of losses. How do you feel about that?
Pederneiras: Actually, the fighters at Nova Uniao are pretty tough mentally. Of course, a fighter will be more stressed when he faces someone he lost to, but that’s not what made the difference in the second fight.
Sherdog.com: Could you tell us what made the difference in the second fight, and do you still believe Barao would beat Dillashaw if they met for a third time?
Pederneiras: There were a couple of factors I’d rather not talk about that influenced the outcome of the second fight. I don’t want to take anything away from T.J. because he proved that the first fight was not luck. I do think if they made a third fight between them that Barao would have a better chance to win, just as I said in the second fight.
Sherdog.com: Dillashaw has asked for a super fight with Aldo. What are your thoughts on that?
Pederneiras: He should first ask for super fights against guys he lost to, like Raphael Assuncao and John Dodson, who knocked him out. After he cleans out his division, then think about a super fight, but I don’t see him winning against Aldo in any way. Aldo is a very fast fighter for his weight class, and that’s the biggest advantage T.J. has. He wouldn’t have that advantage against Aldo. People said Edgar would beat Aldo with his speed -- I told them Frankie didn’t have the advantage -- and we saw the result of the fight. Aldo would rather face someone in the lightweight division than Dillashaw, who just arrived in the business. He has a lot to prove to reach the point where Aldo is right now.
Sherdog.com: You studied Edgar and Mendes a lot when they faced Aldo. How do you see their fight playing out?
Pederneiras: I think Chad has a small advantage, but it depends on his conditioning. If he comes into the fight in the same shape that he fought Aldo the second time, I see him winning. However, if he comes into the fight in the same shape that he fought McGregor, I see Edgar winning.
Sherdog.com: What are your thoughts on the upcoming Dillashaw-Dominick Cruz title fight?
Pederneiras: That’s a fight I’m curious to see. T.J. plays a similar game to what Dominick has been doing for a long time, dancing and playing with both stances. Dominick will be at a disadvantage being away for so long, but on the other hand, he has all the desire to reclaim a belt he never lost.
Sherdog.com: What does Gadelha need to do to take the title from Jedrzejczyk in the women’s strawweight division?
Pederneiras: Gadelha is improving her standup skills. I didn’t see Joanna winning the first fight, but the judges decided in her favor, so we congratulate her. She’s proven to be a great champion. We’re improving Gadelha’s skills so she doesn’t have to spend the whole fight exchanging. We want her to have the best timing to get in and take her down without losing energy. She showed a bit of that improvement in her last fight when she totally dominated Jessica Aguilar. That’s what you’re going to see against Joanna.