Tag: Jose Aldo

Aljamain Sterling Responds To Jose Aldo Demand For A Title Shot

Aljamain SterlingUFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has called for a meeting with UFC president Dana White following Jose Aldo’s call for a shot at the title. Aljamain Sterling was able to retain his bantamweight strap following his hard-fought decision victory over Petr Yan at UFC 273. Scores were divided among fans however credit must be given […]

Aljamain Sterling

UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has called for a meeting with UFC president Dana White following Jose Aldo’s call for a shot at the title.

Aljamain Sterling was able to retain his bantamweight strap following his hard-fought decision victory over Petr Yan at UFC 273. Scores were divided among fans however credit must be given to Sterling as a large portion of the community had written him off before this rematch and simply gave him no chance.

Aldo took to social media to call for his shot at the bantamweight strap before Sterling replied requesting a sit down with the boss.

“u said I would be next on merit and I’m here accepting your challenge, @danawhite send me the contract soon before he changes his mind!!”

Aljamain Sterling responded saying: “.@danawhite Hey man, when are we having a sit down? We clearly have a lot to discuss…

PS: Go watch the first round again. You are WRONG!

@OrenHodak @vaynersports”

Aljamain Sterling Open To Jose Aldo Challenge

Jose Aldo has more than earnt his shot to the title, after losing to Petr Yan in an attempt to secure bantamweight gold he’s gone on to accumulate a three-fight win streak holding victories over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz, and most recently Rob Font cementing himself still as a top contender in the division.

Originally it seemed like the current division champion had his eyes set on TJ Dillashaw as the next threat to his throne, but a change of feeling has now taken Aljamain Sterling away from that idea and drawn his attention to Aldo.

Following on from Sterling’s victory at UFC 273, he offered all of his ‘doubters’ the opportunity to apologize to him by filling out the apology form he uploaded on Twitter.

Who do you think wins in a potential Sterling vs Aldo matchup?

Korean Zombie: Nobody Even Thought About Beating Aldo 9 Years Ago

Korean Zombie will be fighting for UFC gold for the second time in his career, but this time around, he has much more confidence. Zombie fought José Aldo at UFC 163 in 2013 when the champ was 22-1 and hadn’t lost since 2005. He was viewed as unbeatable and many weren’t giving Zombie a chance…

Continue Reading Korean Zombie: Nobody Even Thought About Beating Aldo 9 Years Ago at MMA News.

Korean Zombie will be fighting for UFC gold for the second time in his career, but this time around, he has much more confidence.

Zombie fought José Aldo at UFC 163 in 2013 when the champ was 22-1 and hadn’t lost since 2005. He was viewed as unbeatable and many weren’t giving Zombie a chance as he was around a +600 underdog which was the biggest he was in his entire career.

Ultimately, it was Aldo winning by fourth-round TKO after Zombie dislocated his shoulder. Now, years later, the fan-favorite spoke about the fight and said it is a good learning experience for him.

“Nine years ago, nobody could beat José Aldo. Nobody even thought about beating him. Nobody entertained (it). And (I’m) so happy that (I’m) fortunate enough to fight him because (I) had the experience now to actually step up and win a title (fight),” Zombie said through his interpreter on The MMA Hour.”

Korean Zombie is set to return to fight Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title in the main event of UFC 273 on April 9. Volkanovski was originally supposed to fight Max Holloway but the Hawaiian was forced out of the bout due to an injury, which allowed Zombie to get the shot. The event also takes place in Jacksonville, Florida.

Korean Zombie (17-6) is currently ranked fourth at featherweight and returned to the win column last time out with a decision win over Dan Ige. In the fight before, he lost a decision to Brian Ortega which snapped his two-fight winning streak and had he won, he likely would’ve gotten a title shot. In his career, Jung holds notable wins over Dustin Poirier, Frankie Edgar, and Dennis Bermudez among others.

Do you think Korean Zombie will win the featherweight championship this time after coming up short against José Aldo 9 years ago?

Continue Reading Korean Zombie: Nobody Even Thought About Beating Aldo 9 Years Ago at MMA News.

Dillashaw Welcomes Future Fight With ‘Lower-Weight Godfather’ Aldo

TJ Dillashaw would be open to a fight with José Aldo.

TJ Dillashaw knows what it is like to be a UFC champion. He was on top of the bantamweight division for three years before having to serve a suspension for a failed drug test. Now that Dillasha…

TJ Dillashaw Jose Aldo

TJ Dillashaw would be open to a fight with José Aldo.

TJ Dillashaw knows what it is like to be a UFC champion. He was on top of the bantamweight division for three years before having to serve a suspension for a failed drug test. Now that Dillashaw is back and ready to continue his UFC career, he has one goal in mind, which is to regain his lost title.

“Let’s be honest, I left as a champion,” Dillashaw told ESPN. “I came back, fought a No. 1 contender after a 2.5-year layoff. I was able to beat him. What else is there for me? Nothing is going to get me up and excited except getting my belt back. That’s my goal. There’s nothing else for me to really set my eyes on.”

Dillashaw is in a bit of a holding pattern right now. He suffered an injury that required him to undergo surgery. His last bout was back in July when he defeated interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen. Although the surgery went well, Dillashaw still has some healing to do. He spoke a bit about his timeline for return.

“I wouldn’t say an exact timeframe, but I imagine halfway through the year,” he explained. “I’m able to hit mitts, strength, and conditioning. I haven’t done any grappling yet. That’s the last thing I’ll feel comfortable about again. And then I have to start thinking about getting into a camp.”

TJ Dillashaw Open To Fighting José Aldo

Jose Aldo
Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Dillashaw is currently sitting in the #2 spot in the division, right behind interim champion Petr Yan. With Yan already set to face the champion, Aljamain Sterling, in April, that could leave Dillashaw out of the loop. Fortunately, there has been someone calling his name for a while now. That man is none other than José Aldo.

“I think he has called me out after every one of his fights recently which is amazing,” Dillashaw said. “I’ve looked up to Aldo, I think everyone has looked up to Aldo. Aldo’s been like one of the godfathers of the lower weight classes, but we’ll have our time, he keeps doing what he’s doing, I’m going to get my belt back, and then it would be really amazing.”

Aldo recently won three in a row at bantamweight and could be in the title hunt himself. A possible #1-contender fight with Dillashaw could be an interesting one and a real possibility depending on what happens with Sterling vs. Yan at UFC 273.

Do you think Dillashaw will get a title shot without fighting José Aldo first?

Continue Reading Dillashaw Welcomes Future Fight With ‘Lower-Weight Godfather’ Aldo at MMA News.

Joe Rogan Praises ‘Freakish Punch’ Power Of Conor McGregor

Joe RoganJoe Rogan brought up the “freakish” power of the Irish superstar Conor McGregor, most notably talking about the KO of Jose Aldo in 13 seconds back in 2015. “He’s just got that freakish punch,” Rogan said. “I mean that’s just genius, he had a little bit of a cut over his right eyebrow from that […]

Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan brought up the “freakish” power of the Irish superstar Conor McGregor, most notably talking about the KO of Jose Aldo in 13 seconds back in 2015.

“He’s just got that freakish punch,” Rogan said. “I mean that’s just genius, he had a little bit of a cut over his right eyebrow from that punch. Look how genius this is, that’s so genius. You know what’s even more genius? He worked on the exact same thing and he mimicked what he was going to do, in the green room. There’s a video of him, Conor, Conor pretending to be Aldo and then him showing what he’s going to do and counter. He does the exact same move in the green room, knowing in the dressing room, knowing that’s going to be the fight.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda)

Rogan reflected on the KO and his recent muscle bulk in the most recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience with comedians Tony Hinchcliffe and Ari Shaffir.

McGregor has made headlines again recently calling for a matchup with another Brazilian champion, this time Lightweight king Charles Oliveira, even calling for the fight to be held in the champs territory in Brazil.

The Oliveira-McGregor matchup in Brazil would obviously be a massive draw and fight to make but one has to wonder how logical it would be considering Justin Gaethje is next in line after his epic win over Michael Chandler just last month. The Beniel Dariush-Islam Makhachev matchup in February is also likely to get the title shot vs the winner of Oliviera-Gaethje.

One has to wonder how likely the McGregor fight would happen for Charles Oliveira. It certainly would create a lot of chaos for the rightful Lightweight contenders.

Do you agree with Joe Rogan’s take on Conor McGregor‘s punch power?

Dominick Cruz Open To José Aldo Fight Following UFC 269

Former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz is open to continuing his rise back to the top with a fight against top-five contender José Aldo.

Cruz was in action for the second time in 2021 this past weekend. After rebounding from his re…

José Aldo, Dominick Cruz

Former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz is open to continuing his rise back to the top with a fight against top-five contender José Aldo.

Cruz was in action for the second time in 2021 this past weekend. After rebounding from his return loss against Henry Cejudo with a split decision victory over Casey Kenney at UFC 259 in March, “The Dominator” hoped to end the year by moving further up the rankings and setting himself on a win streak with a triumph over Pedro Munhoz.

With a classic Cruz performance, he accomplished both at UFC 269. After recovering from an early knockdown, the top-10 contender composed himself and entered the flow that’s brought him so much success across his illustrious career. After three rounds of action inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, Cruz was awarded a unanimous decision win.

Cruz: “I’m Going Up Towards The Title”

Having gotten past the #8-ranked bantamweight, Cruz will now be looking to fight up the rankings yet again as his pursuit for a third dose of UFC title success goes on. One name that interests many fans is José Aldo. Like Cruz, “Junior” is a former champion and a legend of the sport.

The Brazilian was in action last weekend in the UFC Vegas 44 main event. Against top contender Rob Font, Aldo proved he’s capable of a surge back to the top with a five-round decision victory. His latest success followed wins against Munhoz and Marlon “Chito” Vera. Having risen to #3 on the bantamweight ladder, Aldo is targeting a title eliminator against TJ Dillashaw next.

Given Aldo’s position in the rankings, it’s perhaps not surprising that Cruz would be more than willing to clash with the fellow legend. During the UFC 269 post-fight press conference, “The Dominator” said he certainly wouldn’t turn down a clash with the 35-year-old.

“Yeah I mean, I’m not gonna say no to a Aldo fight, just because, you know, that moves me closer to the title. Aldo’s a legend in the sport. I have nothing but respect for all these guys. So, I’m trying to go, you know, I’m going up towards the title… I’m not gonna say no to anything.”

It appears much more likely Cruz could be matched up with Aldo’s latest beaten foe Font over the in-form Brazilian. If he’s to fight up the rankings, the former champ’s potential options are limited to either Font, Merab Dvalishvili, Cory Sandhagen or a rematch with Cody Garbrandt, who unsuccessfully tested the flyweight waters this past weekend.

Either way, it’ll be intriguing to see how Cruz fares against some of the top-ranked opponents in the division. If he could get past Font or Sandhagen, Cruz’s name would firmly arrive in the title conversation.

Who would you like to see Dominick Cruz face next?

Continue Reading Dominick Cruz Open To José Aldo Fight Following UFC 269 at MMA News.

Flashback To Conor McGregor’s 13-Second KO Of José Aldo At UFC 194

Six years ago today, Conor McGregor made the giant leap from rising star to megastar, and it only took him 13 seconds.

UFC 194 was headlined by the featherweight unification title bout between undisputed champion José Aldo and Conor McGregor. The b…

Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo, UFC 194

Six years ago today, Conor McGregor made the giant leap from rising star to megastar, and it only took him 13 seconds.

UFC 194 was headlined by the featherweight unification title bout between undisputed champion José Aldo and Conor McGregor. The build-up remains, to this day, one of the most contentious of all time due to the relentless provocation of Aldo by The Notorious One.

Here is an extended look at the build-up of what was arguably the most anticipated fight in the history of the featherweight division and of 2015.

The Play-By-Play

Below is a look at the live play-by-play provided by MMA News during the UFC 194 event (h/t Matt Boone):

Round 1: The first two “holy sh*t I can’t believe this is happening” fights delivered lots of action, drama, and storytelling. Now, it’s time for the real deal. The main event. The one everyone has been waiting for. To UFC’s credit, they did not stall or do much hype bullsh*t at all. They went from Rockhold and Weidman interviews to Conor McGregor’s entrance in just a few minutes.

“Notorious B.I.G.” by The Notorious B.I.G. plays as “The Notorious” Conor McGregor wraps up in the Irish flag and makes his walk to the Octagon. Can he really get it done against the best in the world, or is he just really good? We’re about to find out!

McGregor settles in the cage as the camera pans and “Run This Town” by Jay-Z, Kanye West & Rihanna plays as the only UFC 145-pound champion in history, José Aldo, begins his walk to the cage. The dude looks ready as hell, folks. Bruce Buffer does his thing. Seconds, people. SECONDS away. McGregor is introduced and takes to the center of the cage like a boss. Aldo is introduced and swings side-to-side with his head down the entire time like a killer.

Staredown time. Aldo walks up with his head down and continues what he was just doing. McGregor just stares at him. Here we go!

Holy shit, it’s over. McGregor face-planted Aldo with his first shot. One follow-up. Aldo was out stiff, face-first. Ladies and gentlemen, “The Notorious” Conor McGregor is the real deal. He did what he said he was going to do again.

Conor McGregor def. Jose Aldo via knockout (punch) at 0:13 of Round 1 to become the new undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion.

Note: 13 seconds folks. Prior to Bruce Buffer’s official decision, we saw José Aldo with a towel covering his face crying. Poor guy. McGregor meanwhile is doing the “make it rain” hand gesture sitting on top of the cage. McGregor says he feels sad for Aldo but precision beats power. We see replays of the knockout again.

The Live Reaction

Check out this video the UFC put together of the live reaction to this historic KO:

The Aftermath

After this ascent to megastardom, Conor McGregor would take it up even another level when he became the first-ever simultaneous multi-division champion when he defeated Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 205.

Today, McGregor is ranked #9 in the UFC’s lightweight division and continues to set records and accumulate wealth inside and outside of the Octagon. Meanwhile, José Aldo has been unable to reclaim UFC championship gold but is currently experiencing a career resurgence that has him ranked #3 in the bantamweight division.

As for that contentious build-up, these two former enemies have been exchanging mutual respect recently, with McGregor even coming to Aldo’s defense after Khabib Nurmagomedov questioned his current skill level.

What was your reaction to Conor McGregor’s historic 13-second knockout of José Aldo at UFC 194?

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