Jose Aldo’s next title defense against Conor McGregor is in jeopardy after the UFC featherweight got injured in a sparring session at Nova Uniao, and his teammate is devastated.

Alcides Nunes, a 5-0 lightweight from Nova Uniao, was training with the UFC star in Rio de Janeiro when he ended up breaking Aldo’s ribs with a spinning back kick. Aldo vs. McGregor, scheduled to headline UFC 189 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 11, is now in danger.

"I threw a kick but slipped with all the sweat on the mat, and ended up hitting his rib," Nunes told MMAFighting.com. "I was mimicking McGregor’s unorthodox style, things he does in the fight. I’m also left-handed, my style is similar to his, so that’s why they asked me to be part of his camp, but I ended up slipping and causing this injury."

Nunes, who started training at Nova Uniao three years ago and is undefeated in MMA with four finishes in five professional bouts, reveals that Aldo continued to train after he got hit, but eventually stopped and was rushed to the hospital.

"He finished the round, and then decided to stop," Nunes said. "I’m sure he would continue to train if he could. He’s a warrior and was really well prepared for this fight."

Nova Uniao head coach Andre Pederneiras was expected to meet with Aldo’s doctors on Wednesday to decide his next move, and Nunes is upset with the possibility of forcing his teammate out of the biggest fight of his career.

"I’m still sad about all this," he said. "As a fan and an athlete, I know this is devastating. I’m really sad. Aldo was in shape and prepared for this fight."

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