Jose Aldo says Dana White advised him against fighters’ union to get ‘bigger slice of the cake’

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Jose Aldo always campaigned for a fighters’ union, and says that UFC president Dana White tried to convince him that it would be bad business for him.

The UFC interim featherweight champion, who hopes to get his contract terminated with the promotion and walk away from the sport, revealed during a media scrum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Wednesday morning, that White told him he would get paid less if such an union was created.

"Not only now that I’m the one being affected, but I always talked about it and defended better things for Brazilian athletes," Aldo said. "In a conversation, Dana himself came and told me not to take anyone’s sides because the cake would be split the same for everyone, but I could get a bigger slice if I stayed quiet."

Back in October, Aldo said that a fighters’ union could give athletes more "privileges," but fighters are too disunited. To make it work, "Scarface" said, people should "forget vanity."

"We should have that a long time ago already," Aldo said. "Pepper in other's a** is refreshment. When everyone can talk, nobody does, but when you feel it yourself… I think our class is disorganized, disunited. If we were more united, it would be better, for sure. Nobody would do what they want with us.

"Today, they pay two, five, 10 thousand to fight in the UFC. This class is f**king disunited. It would be completely different for Brazilians if we were more united, not only in MMA."

The UFC declined to comment on this story.