RIO DE JANEIRO – Jose Aldo’s vicious leg kicks have acquired a reputation of their own over the years. And, in case anyone missed them during his last performance, there was a logical – and potentially paranoia-inducing – explanation.

At this month’s UFC 200, Aldo (26-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) outfought a well-prepared Frankie Edgar (20-5-1 MMA, 14-5-1 UFC) for the better part of their five-round interim championship bout, relying on counterattacks and carefully picked blows to take home a decision win.

It was a strategic performance that, Aldo revealed, began outside of the octagon – in the training rooms, to be more precise.

“We had some spies over on his side, where he was training all week,” Aldo revealed during a media day in Rio de Janeiro today. “They came and told us what he was doing. So I had to hold off on the kicks and on the left hand since he was looking to counter on that.”

If you were wondering if Aldo could possibly be only kidding, he made sure to clarify.

“Of course, there was (a spy),” Aldo said. “Why wouldn’t I kick? That’s my own instinct! We always place a spy. We send someone to watch their training and tell us, so we know what they’re training.”

The strategy, the interim champ explained, isn’t a one-off. Though Aldo doesn’t necessarily go spy-hunting before every fight, he explained that he just so happens to always be able to count on Brazilian assistance to take a peak on his rivals’ training rooms upon arrival.

“Thankfully, it always happens,” Aldo said. “Brazilians in the other corners. So when I get there to train, I already look at the list of cornermen. If there’s a Brazilian on the other side, we look for him right away. We ask them to have a look there because it helps us out a lot.”