UFC 142 answered many questions surrounding Jose Aldo’s pound-for-pound status, but his thoughts on moving up another weight class have yet to be revealed.Since entering the UFC last year, Aldo has reigned among the featherweight division and domina…
UFC 142 answered many questions surrounding Jose Aldo’s pound-for-pound status, but his thoughts on moving up another weight class have yet to be revealed.
Since entering the UFC last year, Aldo has reigned among the featherweight division and dominated every opponent in front of him. Like most world-class champions, Aldo’s talent is evidently superior to the rest of his opposition, and perhaps a change of scenery would be more beneficial to the 25-year-old Brazilian.
However, Aldo’s coach and head trainer of Nova Uniao, Andre Pederneiras, doesn’t believe the time is right for the UFC featherweight champion to step up to 155 pounds.
“It won’t happen for now, unless he goes straight for a title shot,” Pederneiras told Sherdog.com.
During the UFC 142 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White appeared to be open to the idea of seeing Aldo challenge for the UFC lightweight title in the future. However, White said he will let Aldo and his camp make the final decision.
“I would have no problem with him staying at his weight now and defending his title there or moving to 155 pounds, whatever he feels like he wants to do,” White said.
Aldo’s stunning knockout of Chad Mendes left the NCAA Division 1 wrestler crumpled on the canvas, and it also left the state of the division in limbo, as some critics felt Mendes was one of the few fighters who could potentially present problems to Aldo with his speed and wrestling ability.
But his victory was not to be outdone, as Aldo sprinted into the crowd to celebrate with those in attendance at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Pederneiras said it was something he expected out of the champion.
“I expected him to do something stupid, especially here,” he joked. “He did [the same thing] in San Diego and he had to hear a lot from the commission staff. But here, with all that crowd, I knew.”
Filed under: UFCIf I could look into my crystal ball into the future of one rising star on the UFC 142 card, it would be Edson Barboza. While I’m not ready to call him a surefire lightweight contender just yet, he certainly has flashed a skill set that…
If I could look into my crystal ball into the future of one rising star on the UFC 142 card, it would be Edson Barboza. While I’m not ready to call him a surefire lightweight contender just yet, he certainly has flashed a skill set that’s worthy of cracking the division’s top 5. Now he has to continue delivering.
So far throughout his UFC career, Barboza has used his skills the same way Chuck Liddell used to; his defensive wrestling keeping him upright where he has the advantage against nearly anyone he faces.
But there are still questions about Barboza. For one, will his wrestling hold up against the division’s best? Remember, this is a weight class heavy on former collegiate wrestling studs. From champ Frankie Edgar to No. 1 contender Ben Henderson to Gray Maynard and beyond, Barboza will have to prove himself able to handle a top level guy before we can anoint him the next great lightweight. That said, it’s been exciting to watch his educated limbs deliver violence in new ways.
The comparison has been made between Barboza and featherweight champ Jose Aldo, and in terms of style, it’s not all that far off. But lightweight is a much deeper division than featherweight, so Barboza has a long climb ahead.
On to the matchups…
Jose Aldo
It was nice to see Aldo flash the finishing instinct that made him a star in his early days under the Zuffa banner. While he’s been accused of playing it safe his last few fights, his perfectly timed knee to the face that led to the finish is a strictly offensive move. If he missed it, he would have been off-balance to defend the takedown that was coming as Mendes went low. Instead, Aldo landed it flush and closed out the show. While many would like to see him move up a weight class, he’s still just 25 years old and I’d like to see him cement a legacy at one division before moving up to another. Anderson Silva‘s become a huge star because he runs his weight class with an iron fist. Fans love dominance, and Aldo’s slowly but surely building himself that kind of aura. Prediction: Aldo fights the winner of February’s Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski bout.
Chad Mendes
The bad news for Mendes is that he lost, but the good news is that he’s not going to fall very far in the featherweight pecking order. While he struggled to take Aldo down — he was 0-for-7 by FightMetric’s count — at least we know Mendes still has room to grow his offensive arsenal. That’s because he’s only been in the sport for about four years. While he’ll still be in the upper tier of the division, he needs to work on his striking to be better equipped to deal with Aldo next time around. If there is a “next time.” Prediction: He fights Diego Nunes Vitor Belfort
We already know Belfort’s next assignment. He’ll be the head coach of the first Brazilian edition of The Ultimate Fighter, alongside Wanderlei Silva, and after the conclusion of the show, the two will face off in a rematch of their 1998 match, a bout which Belfort won by knockout in just 44 seconds.
Anthony Johnson
What a nightmare of a middleweight debut for Johnson, who pulled off a triple dose of fail by missing weight, losing by submission and getting cut. Despite the disastrous evening, Johnson is just 27 years old and has reached a level of popularity that will make him a sought-after commodity in other organizations. But Johnson also has to take a good hard look at himself, realize that he’s blown a couple of opportunities, and find a way to fix it, or otherwise risk never reaching the heights many expected him to. Prediction: Johnson signs with Bellator
Rousimar Palhares
It’s getting harder and harder to ignore Palhares as a contender after a third straight win. Amazingly, it was his fourth heel hook submission win in his last six UFC bouts. Most of the UFC’s 10 best has their date book filled, so Palhares might have to play the waiting game for a bit until something opens up. Two available fighters right now though are Chris Weidman and Alan Belcher. Prediction: Belcher gets the call to face Palhares
Erick Silva
It seems like every time we turn around, there’s another Silva advancing into the upper echelons of the MMA world. The latest is the 27-year-old welterweight who lost by disqualification due to punches that were ruled to be illegal. He’ll appeal the ruling, and regardless of the outcome, Silva will be treated as the winner when it comes to booking his next fight. Since he is still early in his UFC career, don’t expect Silva to be rushed into fights with major names just yet. Prediction: He faces Seth Baczynski
Edson Barboza
After four straight wins, the undefeated Barboza (10-0) looks just about ready to step into the shark tank against the lightweight division’s big guns. He looks to have the complement of skills that make him a scary proposition for anyone, particularly with killer standup and great defensive wrestling. The only potential issue I see from Barboza is that he sometimes tends to step off the gas pedal. I’d match him up against a fighter known for forward aggression and wrestling and see how he does. Prediction: He faces Danny Castillo
Gabriel Gonzaga
Kudos to Gonzaga, who returned to the UFC with a first-round submission win. Just as impressive was the fact that prior to the fight, he said he wanted to stop engaging in striking wars and return to his jiu-jitsu roots. He did just that. According to FightMetric, he wasn’t hit a single time by opponent Ednaldo Oliveira in the 3-minute, 22-second fight. That’s about as clean a win as you can hope for. It was a performance that was not only great for career longevity but also came with a finish, something that always makes fans and management happy. Prediction: He faces the winner of UFC on Fox 2’s Mike Russow vs. Jon Olav Einemo
Shortly after Jose Aldo crushed Chad Mendes’ title hopes, (and face) at UFC 142 last weekend, fans started wondering whom the UFC could possibly put in front of its featherweight champion. Aldo has taken out everyone that Zuffa has asked him to, …
Shortly after Jose Aldo crushed Chad Mendes’ title hopes, (and face) at UFC 142 last weekend, fans started wondering whom the UFC could possibly put in front of its featherweight champion.
Aldo has taken out everyone that Zuffa has asked him to, and now there is a huge gap in talent between the champion and the challengers.
With guys like Dustin Poirier, Erik Koch, Hatsu Hioki and Chan Sung Jung all a win or two away from a shot at the title, many fans have started calling for Aldo to move up in weight and challenge a top contender at lightweight in a potential superfight.
The fighters on this list would all pose some interesting challenges for Aldo, as most would have a significant size advantage and a few might even be able to test Aldo’s ridiculous takedown defense.
Jose Aldo’s appearance at UFC 142 was well-received by fans who sold out the HSBC arena in Rio de Janeiro, but it was his post-fight celebration that will be remembered for many years to come.Following the UFC featherweight champion’s decisive victory …
Jose Aldo‘s appearance at UFC 142 was well-received by fans who sold out the HSBC arena in Rio de Janeiro, but it was his post-fight celebration that will be remembered for many years to come.
Following the UFC featherweight champion’s decisive victory over Chad Mendes this past weekend, Aldo proceeded to rejoice with the fans in attendance as he was hoisted up on people’s shoulders and celebrated.
The Brazilian embraced the moment as the crowd began to chant in honour of his successful title defense.
“My fans give me so much love and so much energy so there’s nothing better than celebrating with them,” Aldo said in an exclusive post-fight interview on UFC.com.
Mendes served as one of the division’s best wrestlers, however his speed and wrestling credentials were no match for Aldo’s superior Muay Thai as Mendes desperately tried for multiple takedown attempts. As Aldo broke free of his opponent’s clinch, he countered and landed a knee on Mendes and followed up with some ground-and-pound to signal the end of the bout.
Aldo praised Mendes for his effort and his relentless approach.
“Mendes is a tough guy,” he said. “But thankfully I was able to do everything I trained to do and come out with a victory.”
Joe Rogan issues explanation for calling out referee, Mario Yamasaki for highly questionable call in Erick Silva‘s DQ loss to Carlo Prater at UFC 142. It is all an unfortunate situation, we hope is at.
Joe Rogan issues explanation for calling out referee, Mario Yamasaki for highly questionable call in Erick Silva‘s DQ loss to Carlo Prater at UFC 142. It is all an unfortunate situation, we hope is at least overturned to a No Contest.
Anthony Johnson‘s legs got tired in his fight with Vitor Belfort at UFC 142. Johnson has since been cut from the UFC.
Um…maybe referee Dan Miragliotta stood up Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson a bit quickly…say some critics.
Jon Jones is too sexy and walked a fashion catwalk runway in Brazil.
Georges St. PierrewantsNick Diaz to win…but probably not ’cause he likes him.
Dana Whitehas some words in response to ESPN‘s “Outside the Lines” segment. You can watch Lorenzo Fertitta‘s entire uncut interview: here.
Because it’s so great, you can watch Jose Aldo‘s celebration in the stands after his victory against Chad Mendes in UFC Rio again and again: here.
Wow! This is the hottest shoot ever with Arianny Celeste and Chandella Powell. Thank you, Paparazzo! Enjoy the gallery below and find MORE pictures: here.
Over the past 12 months, established gyms like Blackhouse and Jackson’s MMA continued to produce championship-caliber talent in a variety of weight classes.During the same time frame, a number of other training centers did their best to level the playi…
Over the past 12 months, established gyms like Blackhouse and Jackson’s MMA continued to produce championship-caliber talent in a variety of weight classes.
During the same time frame, a number of other training centers did their best to level the playing field.
Let’s take a look back at the top gyms from the year that was.
Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com. For anything related to MMA, Follow @RobTatumMMA.
UFC 142 answered many questions surrounding Jose Aldo’s pound-for-pound status, but his thoughts on moving up another weight class have yet to be revealed.
If I could look into my crystal ball into the future of one rising star on the 
