Tag: Jose Aldo

Aldo Targets Dillashaw Clash On Sterling/Yan 2 Undercard In 2022

With a victory over Rob Font at UFC Vegas 44 this weekend, José Aldo will be targeting a title eliminator against TJ Dillashaw in 2022.

After falling short of the vacant bantamweight gold against Petr Yan last July, not many would have expected Ald…

José Aldo, TJ Dillashaw

With a victory over Rob Font at UFC Vegas 44 this weekend, José Aldo will be targeting a title eliminator against TJ Dillashaw in 2022.

After falling short of the vacant bantamweight gold against Petr Yan last July, not many would have expected Aldo to mount another title run. At the time, the Brazilian was 3-5 since his first UFC defeat versus Conor McGregor, with setbacks against Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and a controversial decision loss to Marlon Moraes in his 135-pound debut.

But since a brutal TKO at UFC 251, Aldo has won back-to-back contests and established himself back into title contention. A unanimous decision triumph over Marlon Vera last December put him in the bantamweight win column for the first time, before a similar result against perennial contender Pedro Munhoz in August this year cemented his place in the top five.

“Junior” will look to climb closer to the top step when he collides with Font in this Saturday’s main event.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWlmBcRNwRo/

Aldo Aims To Use Font & Dillashaw To Get Back To The Title

Despite certainly having his hands full with Font, who’s regarded as one of the top strikers in the division and has won his last four Octagon outings, Aldo still has one eye on the future. And should he emerge victorious inside the Apex, the veteran has his sights set on one top contender.

During an appearance on MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca, the former UFC Featherweight Champion acknowledged that a clash with TJ Dillashaw could happen in 2022 if he can extend his winning streak to three on December 4. In a perfect world, Aldo says it would go down on the same card as the unification bout between Aljamain Sterling and interim titleholder Petr Yan.

“It might happen. The fact Sterling is injured and we don’t know when he’s coming back, that (Dillashaw fight) could indeed happen in the future. Dillashaw and I, I don’t know if right now or in the near future, we want this fight. It’s a great fight for both of us, the UFC and the fans, so we’d all agree. I don’t know if it could be on the same card (as Sterling vs. Yan 2). If it is, I’ll be ready. My history is rich, so is his, and we need to make this fight.” (h/t MMA Mania)

Nevertheless, Aldo knows he can’t take Font lightly. This weekend will mark the 34-year-old’s second UFC main event of the year. In the UFC Vegas 27 headliner, Font outpointed former champ Cody Garbrandt across five rounds.

Prior to that, the Massachusetts native recorded victories over Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon, and “Magic” Moraes. He’ll be looking to spoil Aldo’s plans and book a title eliminator for himself on Saturday.

Would you like to see the winner of José Aldo vs. Rob Font face TJ Dillashaw next year?

Continue Reading Aldo Targets Dillashaw Clash On Sterling/Yan 2 Undercard In 2022 at MMA News.

José Aldo Blasts Paulo Costa For Recent Weight Cutting Issues

Former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo is aiming at his Brazilian colleague, Paulo Costa following his weight-cutting controversy.

Aldo and other UFC fighters have harshly criticized Costa for his recent debacle ahead of his UFC Vegas 41 main …

Jose Aldo, Paulo Costa

Former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo is aiming at his Brazilian colleague, Paulo Costa following his weight-cutting controversy.

Aldo and other UFC fighters have harshly criticized Costa for his recent debacle ahead of his UFC Vegas 41 main event against Marvin Vettori. Just days ahead of the fight, Costa called for a fight at catchweight instead of the previously scheduled middleweight limit.

Costa went on to lose the fight by a unanimous decision in a potential Fight of the Year candidate against Vettori.

During a recent interview on MMA Fighting’s ‘Trocacao Franca’ podcast, Aldo explained his disappointment in his fellow countryman Costa for the weight debacle.

“‘Dede’ (coach Andre Pederneiras) always told us that losing and winning is part of the fight, but our obligation was to make weight,” Aldo said. “If you don’t make weight, it’s a lack of respect towards your opponent, the promotion, and the fans that are waiting for that. That’s how I was raised, that’s what made me the athlete I am today. To me, it was disrespectful. Even if he’s Brazilian, it could be a friend of mine or anything like that, if you ask me, I’d still say the same thing.”

José Aldo Has Moved To Bantamweight Late In His Career

Aldo’s comments come after UFC president Dana White made it clear that Costa will need to move up to 205 pounds for his foreseeable UFC future.

Aldo, in contrast to fighters such as Costa, has made weight with relative ease for the majority of his career. After losing the title at featherweight, he opted to move down to 135 pounds for another chance to compete for another UFC title.

Aldo will return to face Rob Font at UFC Vegas 44. Costa’s next fight in the UFC Octagon remains uncertain and unscheduled.

What are your thoughts on José Aldo’s criticism of Paulo Costa?

Continue Reading José Aldo Blasts Paulo Costa For Recent Weight Cutting Issues at MMA News.

Jose Aldo Reveals Conor McGregor Sent Him A Gift After UFC 200

Jose AldoJose Aldo has revealed that Conor McGregor sent him a gift in the aftermath of his win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 in 2016. ‘Scarface’ and ‘Notorious’ were involved in a bitter build-up to their featherweight title fight at UFC 194. The bout was infamously ended with just one punch by McGregor who has […]

Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo has revealed that Conor McGregor sent him a gift in the aftermath of his win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 in 2016.

‘Scarface’ and ‘Notorious’ were involved in a bitter build-up to their featherweight title fight at UFC 194. The bout was infamously ended with just one punch by McGregor who has since gone on to capture another title at lightweight while Aldo has rebuilt his career at 145lbs and more recently at bantamweight.

During a recent appearance on MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca, Aldo revealed how the relationship with McGregor began to heal after UFC 194.

“When I fought Frankie Edgar and won the title again, (McGregor and I) were staying at the same hotel, side by side. He saw me, and even sent a gift congratulating me for the belt I had just won,” Aldo said. “That was intimate, brother. He knows that, he sent it to my room. I see no problem with that. It was a way of trying to show love for me and my family. It was really intimate. It was nice, it was nice. I don’t know what his intentions were, right? But it was nice.”

Jose Aldo & Conor McGregor Will Never Rematch

Aldo is scheduled to face Rob Font in what appears to be a bantamweight title eliminator on December 4. Last time out, the Brazilian was at his brilliant best when he picked up a decision win over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 265.

McGregor is currently side-lined due to an injury he suffered in his UFC 264 trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier. After a tough first round the former dual-weight UFC champion suffered a nasty leg break that ended the fight. McGregor is expected to return to the Octagon in the summer of 2022 and has been busy on social media during his rehabilitation, calling anyone and everyone ahead of his return.

Do you like to see fighters such as Jose Aldo & Conor McGregor put their rivalry to one side after the fight is done?

Conor McGregor Declares Himself The Best Boxer In The UFC, Agrees To Spar Petr Yan

Conor McGregorSome things are certain in life: death, tax, and Conor McGregor being lured into a Twitter war with a fellow fighter on the UFC roster. Earlier today, the Irish superstar caught himself in a back and forth with Jorge Masvidal and interim bantamweight champion Petr Yan. The verbal exchange with Petr Yan occurred after a […]

Conor McGregor

Some things are certain in life: death, tax, and Conor McGregor being lured into a Twitter war with a fellow fighter on the UFC roster.

Earlier today, the Irish superstar caught himself in a back and forth with Jorge Masvidal and interim bantamweight champion Petr Yan.

The verbal exchange with Petr Yan occurred after a fan posted an image of the top five best boxers in the UFC, which consisted of “The Notorious” being left unsatisfied with his positioning on the list at number three. Conor McGregor took offence to the list while his former foe in Max Holloway took the number two slot, followed by Petr Yan taking pole position. The list also included McGregor’s previous rivals, with Jose Aldo at number four and Nate Diaz in fifth.

Conor McGregor continued to brag that his boxing skills were far superior to anybody’s in the UFC, including the three men he holds victories over on the list. However, the former two-division champion did give his credit to interim champion Petr Yan but believes he’s still nowhere near his level.

“I outboxed 3 guys on this list! There’s no one even remotely close to my boxing in the ufc. Even Dustin only got shots off post the leg damage. Everyone has been pucked around by me if we are going off boxing. Yan is good tho, i like his style. I’d rip him up in that shell tho.” McGregor quoted.

It didn’t take long for Petr Yan to bite back and challenge the Irishman, who has been side lined from competition after suffering a freak injury at UFC 264 with his trilogy with Dustin Poirier. Yan confronted the notorious one for being all talk, and threw his name in the mix for a “box or fight”, which Conor McGregor obliged and expressed his interest in hosting the Russian and his team in Ireland for a spar.

Petr Yan Fires Back at Conor McGregor

“Conor, we all know that you like to talk, but let’s get straight to the point if you really want to box or to fight, I don’t care about the weight or the ruleset. I bet you won’t show up @TheNotoriousMMA” Petr Yan responded.

The probability of fans seeing the undisputed former champions clash is very slim. McGregor looks to climb his way back up the ladder in the lightweight division, and Petr Yan is on the hunt to avenge his loss to Aljamain Sterling to solidify himself as the undisputed UFC bantamweight champion of the world. McGregor, on the other hand, may have different ideas.

“Lol, no prob littler. We will set up a spar or something similar in the near future. Will host you and your team in Ireland for one of our shows at Crumlin boxing club. We will figure it out then, kid. God bless ya. @ParimatchGlobal, get this set. McGregor said.

Petr Yan left the verbal Twitter battle with the last word as he questioned McGregor’s gas tank and humorously challenged his inner Irish.

“Maga, we can play if you don’t want to decide matter seriously. Just let me know if you will have enough gas for 12 rounds, kid. Sláinte” Petr Yan closed off with.

With that being said, who is the more technically gifted boxers between the two UFC superstars?

Aldo Puts Khabib’s Comments Down To Post-Retirement Attention Seeking

Following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s claim that he can’t get back to his best, José Aldo has suggested the Russian talks too much.

The former UFC Lightweight Champion’s comments came after Aldo recorded his second bantamweight victory in August this yea…

Following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s claim that he can’t get back to his best, José Aldo has suggested the Russian talks too much.

The former UFC Lightweight Champion’s comments came after Aldo recorded his second bantamweight victory in August this year. In the UFC 265 co-main event, “Junior” faced his compatriot Pedro Munhoz. An impressive performance across three rounds saw the 35-year-old defeat “The Young Punisher” by way of a unanimous decision.

Despite taking a step closer to earning a second championship opportunity at 135 pounds, not everyone was impressed. Khabib stated that the Brazilian can’t achieve a second peak in MMA, and suggested he’d be beaten by the top names in the weight class.

Aldo Hits Back At “The Eagle”

While Aldo may have lost three fights in a row prior to his win against Marlon Vera last December, two came against future champions in Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan. The other, which was opposite Marlon Moraes, was a controversial decision that most believe should have seen Aldo with his hand raised. With back-to-back wins in his new weight class, Aldo looks to be making a late surge back to the top.

With that in mind, the former featherweight kingpin doesn’t understand why Khabib decided to criticize his latest victory. During this week’s episode of MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca, “Junior” claimed Glover Teixeira’s victory at UFC 267, which saw him become champion at the age of 42, proves the Dagestani’s assessment was wrong.

“He’s saying you can’t peak again, but we just saw an example with Glover [Teixeira], who got there, lost, and got there again at age 42 and won [the UFC title], completely dominated the champion, took him down and submitted him,” Aldo said. “[Israel] Adesanya himself fought [Jan Blachowicz] for five rounds, a pretty boring fight, two high-level athletes, and Glover, who’s older than me [won].” (h/t MMA Fighting)

Assessing why he believes Khabib doubted his abilities, Aldo suggested “The Eagle” was simply seeking some post-retirement attention.

“Sometimes Khabib talks too much. He’s not doing much these days, he’s retired, so he’s looking for [attention] that way.”

After dominant title defenses against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje, Khabib retired from active MMA competition after UFC 254 last October. Having closed the book on his in-cage career with an unblemished 29-0 record, the Dagestani has since turned his attention to his business ventures, ownership of the Eagle Fighting Championship, and coaching his friends and teammates.

Aldo, meanwhile, is still on the hunt for more success in the UFC. Having built his first winning streak as a bantamweight, the 35-year-old will look to make it three straight when he next enters the Octagon. The Brazilian is set to main event the December 4 UFC Fight Night card against fellow top-five contender Rob Font.

Do you agree with José Aldo? Was Khabib Nurmagomedov seeking attention with his comments?

Continue Reading Aldo Puts Khabib’s Comments Down To Post-Retirement Attention Seeking at MMA News.

Jose Aldo Reveals UFC Offered Him Fight With Khabib Nurmagomedov In 2016

Jose AldoFormer undisputed UFC featherweight champion and current bantamweight contender, Jose Aldo has claimed that the promotion once offered him the opportunity to move to the lightweight limit — for a ‘super fight’ with former division champion, the now-retired, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Manaus favorite, Aldo is currently in the midst of a two-fight winning run for the […]

Jose Aldo

Former undisputed UFC featherweight champion and current bantamweight contender, Jose Aldo has claimed that the promotion once offered him the opportunity to move to the lightweight limit — for a ‘super fight’ with former division champion, the now-retired, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Manaus favorite, Aldo is currently in the midst of a two-fight winning run for the first time since February 2019 — most recently taking home an impressive unanimous decision victory over compatriot, Pedro Munhoz at UFC 265 in August.

The Brazilian veteran, who is currently ranked at #5 in the bantamweight pile, is slated to headline UFC Vegas 44 at the start of December against New England Cartel standout, Rob Font as he attempts to earn a second title challenge at the bantamweight limit.

As for Khabib, the Dagestan native announced his retirement from professional mixed martial arts in October of last year following a successful lightweight title unification win over Justin Gaethje on ‘Fight Island’ — improving his professional résumé to 29-0 as a result.

Officially vacating his title in March of this year, Khabib has been continuously linked with a return to the promotion, to no avail, however, with the undefeated grappling confirming that the promotion, its officials and its president, Dana White have tirelessly attempted to persuade him to make a return to the active competition for one final fight. 

Jose Aldo reveals the UFC attempted to match him with Khabib Nurmagomedov back in 2016

Speaking with MMA Fighting reporter, Guilherme Cruz on Trocacao Franca, Aldo revealed that the promotion had offered him an interim lightweight title fight against Khabib back in 2016 — but claims the latter turned the fight down.

“I was traveling when ‘Dede’ [Andre Pederneiras] called me,” Jose Aldo revealed. “The [UFC] had offered me this fight and we took it. I said, ‘What? I want that, I’m in.’ I respect everybody but that opportunity … I was the featherweight champion, and [Khabib Nurmagomedov] didn’t think it was a good [idea]. I don’t know if he was expecting to fight somebody else, I don’t know what he was thinking at the time. I think it could have been a great fight.“

“I wanted to test myself,” Jose Aldo continued. “Everybody always asks me. … It’s funny, everybody thinks I train wrestling a lot. No, man, I usually do the same training with my team, so, to me, it would have been a really tough test. I’ve always fought against American wrestling and it was hard to take me down, so it would be a tough test against him, if he would be able to impose his takedown game against me knowing that I have pretty good takedown defense as well.” 

Aldo, the promotion’s inaugural featherweight champion, was continuously linked with a move to the promotion’s lightweight limit in the past. And was even briefly targeted to meet with former division champion, Anthony Pettis in a bout that failed to come to fruition.