UFC president, Dana White has heaped praise on former two-time undisputed featherweight champion, Jose Aldo following the Brazilian favorite’s recent departure from the organization, and impending retirement from professional mixed martial arts.
Aldo, a former undisputed featherweight champion on two occasions during his gold-laden UFC tenure, also challenged for bantamweight spoils a year following his move to the 135lbs limit.
Last featuring professionally just last month on the main card of UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Aldo suffered a unanimous decision loss against Georgian grappler, Merab Dvalishvili.
Linked with a potential swansong at the upcoming UFC 283 card in his native Brazil in January, Aldo instead agreed terms with the promotion to depart despite retaining a single fight on his deal, with the intention of hanging up his gloves from active competition.
Dana White heaps praise on the career of Jose Aldo
Receiving mass plaudits following his decision to depart the UFC and call time on his career, Jose Aldo was praised by the aforenoted, White following last night’s instalment of the Contender Series, claiming Aldo helped build the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts as a whole in his native Brazil.
“We love him (Jose Aldo), man,” Dana White told assembled media. “This will always be his house. We told him, ‘If you ever need anything here, if you ever wanna go to an event, this is always your house.’ And this is a guy from the WEC to the UFC, helped build the sport – this brand, and Brazil for us.”
“We love him and we always will,” White continued. “He’s made a great life for down there too. Done some great things, made a lot of money, and I couldn’t be happier for him and his family.”
The inaugural UFC featherweight champion, Aldo landed in the promotion back in April 2011, defending his title against Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, Chan Sung Jung, and Ricardo Lamas.
Enjoying a bright spell at bantamweight, beyond losses to the trio of Marlon Moraes, Petr Yan, and the aforenoted, Dvalishvili, Aldo defeated the trio of Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz, and Rob Font.