Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has called it a career after 18 years and 39 fights.
It seems fans have seen the last of former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the Octagon.
Following a recent interview in which his coach Andre Pederneiras advised Aldo to retire, it looks like the 36-year-old has taken the advice to heart after a frustrating defeat to Merab Dvalishivili in August.
According to Combate’s report, Aldo has made a deal with the UFC to void his current contract, which had a single fight remaining, and retire from MMA. This decision means the UFC cannot prevent Aldo from venturing into different sports, such as boxing or jiu-jitsu competitions.
With 39 professional mixed martial arts matches, Aldo has put an end on an 18-year career that dates back to August 2004. During this time, he became the WEC and UFC featherweight champion, amassing nine title defences between both promotions.
The 36-year-old has scored wins over the biggest names of his generation at both featherweight and bantamweight, such as Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, Chan Sung Jung and Ricardo Lamas, among others.
Aldo decided to end his career after a unanimous decision defeat to the aforementioned Dvalishivili, back in August. The defeat snapped a three-fight win streak for the Brazilian, with victories over Rob Font, Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera.