Aldo moving on from McGregor: 'I don't think about Conor today'

Time heals all wounds - even Jose Aldo's.

Now over a year and a fruitless campaign for a rematch removed from the 13-second knockout he suffered at Conor McGregor's hands at UFC 194, the featherweight champ has finally accepted that he may never get the chance to avenge the sole blemish on his promotional record.

"Never. Never," Aldo said in a recent scrum, according to MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz. "I think it was close once. Today, with this fight between the UFC and him, from both sides. The UFC has tried to do this fight, and he didn't want it. He's running. He won't accept it. But we'll see. I don't know if this fight happens."

Aldo's and McGregor's respective careers have gone in far different directions since they met in December 2015. While the Irishman has split a pair of welterweight bouts with Nate Diaz, become the UFC's first dual-division champ, and been stripped of the featherweight strap before setting his sights on a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, the Brazilian has bested Frankie Edgar for the second time, been promoted from interim to undisputed champ at 145 pounds, and signed on to face fellow titleholder Max Holloway in a unification bout at UFC 212 in June.

With McGregor keeping his own counsel and clearly uninterested in taking him on again, Aldo has come to the simple realization: it's good to be the king.

"Well, I don’t think about McGregor today. I couldn't care less what he's doing. Like I said, I want to remain champion, I want big fights. If one day I fight him, great. If not, I'll continue my life, continue being champion, continue being the same person, fighting and winning. I don't think about Conor today. I only talk about Conor because you ask. F--k him."