Jose Aldo still wants to fight for the featherweight belt one more time, but he nearly stepped away from the sport altogether.
Legendary featherweight Jose Aldo has been the victim of three (T)KO losses in his last four fights, and his most recent one nearly saw him call it a career.
Accepting a rematch on short notice vs. current champion Max Holloway, Aldo once again found himself on the wrong end of a third-round stoppage defeat against the Hawaiian. Following that UFC 218 showdown, the former WEC and UFC titleholder consulted with his coaches about whether or not he should retire. (Via MMA Fighting)
”After the fight, I took some time for myself, to think and stay with my family,” Aldo told Combate. “Two weeks later, I met with my coaches, sat down with everyone. I asked what they thought, if it was time to stop or not. We decided to move forward. The next day I was in the gym.”
The 31-year-old says he has a handful of fights left on his contract, and wants to get another title shot with a couple of wins under his belt.
”I think I still have much wood to burn, full capacity to go there and fight for the title again,” Aldo said. “I still have four fights left in the contract. I want to do at least three this year. I want to get to the third fighting for the title, be champion again. Then, in the future, I think about retiring or not.”
Aldo is scheduled to fight Jeremy Stephens in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 30 in Calgary, Alberta. It will be Aldo’s first three-round fight in his entire UFC career, and his first one since the flying knee KO of Cub Swanson back in 2009.