Tag: Jose Aldo

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?

Continue Reading Flashback To Conor McGregor’s 13-Second KO Of José Aldo At UFC 194 at MMA News.

Dana White On Potential Jose Aldo/TJ Dillashaw Fight: “I Love It”

Former champions José Aldo and TJ Dillashaw could be on a collision course at bantamweight, and UFC president Dana White wants to book it.

Aldo and Dillashaw are undoubtedly two of the top bantamweights in the world at the moment after each earned …

Jose Aldo, Dana White, TJ Dillashaw

Former champions José Aldo and TJ Dillashaw could be on a collision course at bantamweight, and UFC president Dana White wants to book it.

Aldo and Dillashaw are undoubtedly two of the top bantamweights in the world at the moment after each earned wins this year. UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will more than likely face Petr Yan in a rematch next, which opens the conversation to who could be the next top contender.

In a division that is stacked from top-to-bottom, Dillashaw and Aldo have managed to beat some of the top guys to earn a spot in the title picture.

During a recent interview with Barstool Sports, White explained why an Aldo vs. Dillashaw fight makes sense.

“I love it,” White said. “Yeah, I love it. That’s a fun fight. And it’s #2 versus #3.  Do that fight, see who gets the next title shot.”

José Aldo Vs. TJ Dillashaw Would Surely Be A No. 1 Contender Fight

Aldo most recently dominantly defeated Rob Font in the UFC Vegas 44 main event. In a matchup of two elite strikers, Aldo proved that he remains on top of his game despite being the promotion for many years.

Dillashaw recently returned from a lengthy USADA suspension to squeak out a split decision win against the always-dangerous Cory Sandhagen in July. After undergoing recent knee surgery, he’s been sidelined and is anticipating a return sometime early next year.

Aldo and Dillashaw at one point were considered two of the top fighters in the world, as both men earned titles at featherweight and bantamweight, respectively. White sounds just as pumped up as nearly everyone else for a potential matchup between the two.

How do you think a TJ Dillashaw vs. José Aldo fight would play out?

Continue Reading Dana White On Potential Jose Aldo/TJ Dillashaw Fight: “I Love It” at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley Eyes Jose Aldo: ‘Couple Wins, We Could Fight Him’

Sean O'Malley & Jose AldoSean O’Malley expressed his desire to match up with Jose Aldo in the future when speaking in a video posted to his YouTube channel. The American will look to continue his hot streak when he enters the Octagon this weekend to take on Raulian Paiva at UFC 269. O’Malley comes into this bout following on […]

Sean O'Malley & Jose Aldo

Sean O’Malley expressed his desire to match up with Jose Aldo in the future when speaking in a video posted to his YouTube channel.

The American will look to continue his hot streak when he enters the Octagon this weekend to take on Raulian Paiva at UFC 269. O’Malley comes into this bout following on from his striking masterclass against the tough Kris Moutinho.

‘Suga’ spoke about Jose Aldo and was full of praise for the Brazilian, who himself has seen a career resurgence following on from his move down to bantamweight which started off with two losses for the former featherweight champion. However, since then he has gone on to pick up three wins in his new division, with his most recent outing a strong five-round display against Rob Font.

“Aldo’s a tough fight 100 percent. Got to be so f***ing sweet to fight him someday. We’re on track, I mean we got a f***ing couple wins and we could fight him… He’s so good at countering a jab, his f***ing pull twos are so fast… I think that’s why you switch stances, throwing different jabs and stuff but yeah, I mean in the third round or the fourth round, he (Aldo) was kicking the f**k out of his leg, but he didn’t throw one until then which is crazy.” (transcribed by sporkskeeda.com)

Following on from his victory over Rob Font, Aldo expressed his interest in fighting for the title but given time schedules and Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling needing to face each other first, Aldo was also open to the idea of fighting TJ Dillashaw.  

What’s Next for Sean O’Malley?

Sean O’Malley made no illusion of the fact that he would need to win a few more fights to earn himself a matchup with Aldo. So, given he can get past Paiva this weekend who would you like to see O’Malley take on next? Just above him in the rankings sits Marlon Moraes who would provide a good test for O’Malley or given the comments he made earlier this week could a potential match-up with Dominic Cruz be the next step for ‘Sugar’.

Do you think Sean O’Malley beats Raulian Paiva this weekend at UFC 269?

Marlon Vera Wants Aldo To “Be A Man” And Accept Five-Round Rematch

UFC bantamweight Marlon “Chito” Vera has called out top-five contender José Aldo for a five-round rematch following the Brazilian’s victory over Rob Font this past weekend.

The pair first collided on a stacked UFC Vegas 17 card last December. At th…

José Aldo, Marlon Vera

UFC bantamweight Marlon “Chito” Vera has called out top-five contender José Aldo for a five-round rematch following the Brazilian’s victory over Rob Font this past weekend.

The pair first collided on a stacked UFC Vegas 17 card last December. At the time, Aldo was on a three-fight losing skid, having fallen to defeats against Alexander Volkanovski, Marlon Moraes, and Petr Yan. Vera, meanwhile, was riding high after becoming the first man to beat Sean O’Malley four months prior.

Across a competitive three rounds, Aldo had the edge and secured a unanimous decision victory. While he marked his first win at bantamweight, Vera fell short of breaking into contention.

Since their clash, both men have been in exceptional form. After avenging his previous loss to England’s Davey Grant in a Fight of the Night contest earlier this year, Vera faced former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 268 last month. Inside Madison Square Garden, “Chito” recorded a memorable highlight-reel knockout courtesy of a front kick.

For Aldo, two wins in 2021 against top contenders have seen him once again enter the title scene. First was a co-main event triumph over his compatriot Pedro Munhoz at UFC 265 in August. The former featherweight titleholder then extended his streak to three on Saturday with a commanding main event performance against Font, who many had tipped to fight for the title in 2022.

Vera Shoots His Shot

Despite their places in the rankings, which sees Vera narrowly outside the top 10 and Aldo firmly inside the top five, the Ecuadorian wants a second chapter with “Junior.”

Taking to Twitter in the aftermath of Aldo’s latest success, “Chito” challenged the Brazilian to a five-round headliner. As far as ambitious callouts go, this is certainly up there…

“Let’s do it again @josealdojunior be a man and take a 5 rounder with me.”

The chance of the rematch happening is slim, at least for now. Aldo firmly has his sights set on reaching the top of the food chain again, something a victory over Vera would not help to achieve.

While Vera will likely to have to re-adjust his target to the likes of Marlon Moraes and the loser of the upcoming Dominick Cruz vs. Pedro Munhoz clash, Aldo will be hoping to secure a title eliminator against former two-time bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw.

Would you like to see Marlon Vera and José Aldo run it back down the line?

Continue Reading Marlon Vera Wants Aldo To “Be A Man” And Accept Five-Round Rematch at MMA News.

5 Fights We Need to See After UFC on ESPN 31

UFC on ESPN 31 went down Saturday night inside the UFC’s Apex facility in Las Vegas, and despite a lack of pre-fight buzz, the card was extremely entertaining—maybe even one of the UFC’s best of the year…

UFC on ESPN 31 went down Saturday night inside the UFC’s Apex facility in Las Vegas, and despite a lack of pre-fight buzz, the card was extremely entertaining—maybe even one of the UFC’s best of the year…