Jose Aldo is Top Contender for Next Conor McGregor Fight, Says Dana White

UFC president Dana White is open to the possibility of a Conor McGregor -- Jose Aldo rematch. The businessman's renewed interest for the bout comes a few weeks after the dethroned Brazilian champion vehemently declared that he won't step into the octagon again unless he gets a rematch with McGregor first.

In a recent sitdown with ESPN's local outfit in Brazil as relayed by Mirror, White indicated that Aldo is the top contender to fight McGregor in July.

He said he is already in talks with the Aldo camp to plan for the Brazilian's next fight. White then teased the McGregor-Aldo rematch by responding affirmatively when asked if Aldo wants a title bout.

Back in December, McGregor snatched the UFC featherweight championship belt away from Aldo by knocking him cold in just 13 seconds of action. Aldo then took a one-month sabbatical from the UFC after the fight. It was only recently that the Brazilian expressed his burning desire for a rematch.

Aldo broke his silence two weeks ago on Instagram. He stated that he would not return to the UFC unless he gets a title fight with reigning featherweight kingpin Conor McGregor. Aldo even corrected himself and said the fight wouldn't even have to be for the belt. He said he just wants to knock out the Irishman.

At the moment, McGregor is preparing to become the first UFC fighter to hold two championship belts in different weight divisions. He will move a weight up this coming March 5 to challenge UFC lightweight title holder Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196.

He has little to lose during the March 5 main event. If he wins, he makes history. If he losses, he still keeps his featherweight championship belt and gets to defend it against Aldo or Frankie Edgar in July.

Edgar was widely-regarded as McrGregor's next featherweight challenger, but Aldo's Instagram post quickly changed all that. There's now a growing interest from fans to see a McGregor-Aldo rematch.

Edgar failed to seize the UFC featherweight championship against Aldo at UFC 156 in 2013. However, the 34-year old New Jersey native has been on a five-match winning streak which culminated in a knockout victory against Chad Mendes last December, per SherDog.

He revealed to Fox Sports via MMA Mania that he and Dana White had already discussed a potential title shot. He said he had been booked to fight McGregor sometime in 2016, but he was also aware that the UFC is full of surprises and last minute changes.

As for Jose Aldo, he explained to Pundit Arena that McGregor would have been knocked out cold if it was his left hook that would have properly landed on the Irishman's chin.