Aldo Closes the Book of a Storied Career
Following a close decision loss to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315, Jose Aldo has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. After the loss, he was 1-3 in his last four fights dating back to 2022, though he was still very competitive in defeat. That was the case against Zahabi as well, with many fans believing he’d done enough to deserve the decision victory. The deciding factor was a very close second round, which all 3 judges awarded to Zahabi. In the third, both fighters put on a show, with Aldo scoring a thunderous knockdown on Zahabi before the Canadian rebounded to end the fight on top raining down some nasty elbows and punches.
The King of Rio Abdicates the Throne
After the decision, Jose Aldo removed his gloves and tossed them to the mat, the universal symbol of hanging up a career. Analyst Daniel Cormier came over to give him his time on the microphone to address the fans. Based on his remarks in that exchange, it seems he may have set his mind to retire after the fight win or lose. His waning motivation to complete the grueling weight cut to 135 lbs seems to be a factor; Aldo missed weight for this contest by 8 lbs. Through an interpreter, the Portuguese-speaking Aldo talked through his decision to call it quits.
“Thank you to…everyone in the UFC for everything you’ve given me. I don’t think I have it in me anymore. This was a very tough one and it wasn’t just about cutting the weight. There were many things that happened and it was very tough to go through all of this. There was a point this week where I just felt I didn’t have it in me, I didn’t want to cut anymore, my body said no. I don’t want to go into war all the time and go through this. I just don’t have it in my heart anymore. I think this is the last time that you’re gonna see me.”
Jose Aldo Made a Lasting Impact on MMA
Jose Aldo leaves behind a monumental legacy in the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts as a whole. He finishes with a career record of 32-10, which includes winning 18 straight fights from 2006 to 2014. The run included a staggering 10 consecutive Featherweight title wins, the first 3 occurring in the WEC and the last 7 in the UFC after they acquired WEC talent to create their own 145 lb division.
Known for his devastatingly powerful leg kicks, sharp boxing, and outstanding takedown defense, he presented a high-caliber riddle that many aspiring champions simply could not solve. His strength of schedule was impeccable, pitting him against the best fighters in the world in his era. During his 8-year winning streak he notched victories over Cub Swanson, Uriah Faber, Chad Mendes (twice), Frankie Edgar (twice), Mark Hominick, and Kenny Florian.
The King of Rio lost his championship on the wrong end of one of the sport’s most iconic moments, being knocked out by Irish superstar Conor McGregor just 13 seconds into his attempted 10th title defense. During a prolonged period of inactivity at Featherweight from McGregor, Aldo was able to reclaim an interim championship that was later promoted to undisputed when McGregor was stripped of his belt. He lost the first defense of his new reign in a unification bout with Max Holloway. While he continued to fight at a high level for years, he was unable to regain his title.
No Shame as Aldo Rides into the Sunset
He retires as arguably the greatest MMA Featherweight of all time, with only current champion Alexander Volkanovski having a viable competing claim as the GOAT. Already a UFC Hall of Fame inductee, Jose Aldo can hold his head high knowing that he set the standard for Featherweight greatness and put together one of the great championship reigns in the history of the sport. Despite the loss to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315, fans will always be grateful for his excellence inside the cage and his class and professionalism outside of it. If this is truly the end for Aldo, it has been a pleasure to watch, and we wish him the best in retirement.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
