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Aldo wants Edgar to come fight him at featherweight

Jose Aldo expects to fight the winner of Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung in his next outing © Getty Images

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UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has encouraged Frankie Edgar to drop down to 145lbs after his rematch with Ben Henderson.

Edgar, the former lightweight champion, will bid to win back his belt from Henderson following his close decision loss at UFC 144. The rematch is scheduled for the summer, ruling out a potential Aldo v Edgar encounter.

Edgar's name has long been linked with the featherweight division, his more natural weight, and even when he reigned at 155 UFC president Dana White was calling for Edgar to move down to face Aldo.

It is a fight Aldo would relish, and he admits he may eventually move up to lightweight himself if the division's best fighters don't move down to fight him.

"Having Edgar, a former lightweight champion, would be amazing for the featherweight division, but if he doesn't come down [to 145 pounds], in the future, I'm going to have to move to lightweight," Aldo told Sherdog.

"Edgar thinks he won against Henderson, so he really had to stay in his division and get the rematch. If he comes to featherweight, we'll fight. Many people want to see it."

Aldo's next rival is likely to be the winner of the Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung v Dustin Poirier. The name of Hatsu Hioki is also in the mix, but he wants more time to hone his skills before fighting for the title.

"If he thinks it's better to train a little more, OK. I have to understand his side," Aldo said. "Hioki will surely have the opportunity in the future.

"I know a bit more about The Zombie, but that fact is we all know each other. We're in the same division. We have to study our strengths and weaknesses more calmly. I'll be watching this fight [with Poirier]."

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