UFC 179 may have served as the fulcrum for one of the brightest careers in MMA history.
Jose Aldo is probably the best featherweight ever. He’s the division’s reigning, first and only champion on the biggest stage. That would be the UFC, as you know.
But despite a winning streak that dates back to the time when Australia broke away from Pangea and the unassailable skill set that he carries into each contest, Aldo has faced questions. Why isn’t he a bigger star? Has he grown conservative of late, more concerned with eking out rounds and keeping the belt than he is with finishing his opponents? Can he move up to the sport’s Mount Rushmore, or is he merely in the Hall of Fame?
At age 28, he has plenty of years remaining, but this main event against All-American wrestler Chad Mendes signals a crossroads. That’s especially true because an Aldo teammate who recently seemed impregnable, Renan Barao, is now the former bantamweight champ thanks to Mendes’ teammate and current belt holder T.J. Dillashaw.
Would Aldo-Mendes follow suit, or will Aldo re-assert his claim to the throne? And that was just one question for Saturday’s 11-fight slate. As always, the final stat lines only reveal so much. Here are the real winners and losers from UFC 179. (Full results available at the end of the slideshow, however, if that’s your thing.)