Aldo is a manlet. He is listed at 5'7" and that's being generous. He would be foolish to up to lightweight, where the best fighters are 3-5 inches taller than him.
Edson Barboza has firmly established himself as a gatekeeper, albeit a fairly high-level one. He's a fan favorite because he has an entertaining style and highlight reel knockouts, which causes him to be a little overrated.
Under normal circumstances, Barboza would never sniff a title fight. But the UFC's lightweight division is anything but normal. If Conor ever agrees to defend a title, and that's a really big if, he would probably have to face the winner of Ferguson vs Khabib. If Conor, not only accepted a fight with that winner, but somehow managed to beat him, then the UFC would love to match him up with a guy like Barboza for his second defense. Obviously that would be a career-changing payday for Barboza.
To be in that position, Barboza would probably have to win 2 fights. He should take on a lower level opponent in his first fight back from the Khabib mauling to ensure an easy victory. Then roll the dice in a 50-50 fight against the likes of Lee, Gaethje, Alvarez, or Poirier.
