Jose Aldo, the former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight champion and widely regarded as the greatest Featherweight of all time, has retired from mixed martial arts (again) after his latest loss at UFC 315—likely for good this time.
Check out his retirement statement here.
There is no doubt that Aldo’s return from his first retirement was extremely underwhelming, mainly because of the absurd, weird, boring matchmaking.
His comeback fight against Jonathan Martinez in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro was a fitting choice. It served as a litmus test for how much the 38-year-old still had left after a two-year hiatus.
But after defeating Martinez, Aldo deserved matchups that honored his legacy. A WEC legends clash with Dominick Cruz would have been perfect—a dream fight for fans and a nod to their storied past. Yet, it never materialized, and with both fighters now retired, that chance is gone forever. Other compelling options included a rescheduled bout with Henry Cejudo, originally set for UFC 250’s Bantamweight title but derailed by COVID and visa issues, or an all-Brazilian showdown with Deiveson Figueiredo. Even a Featherweight clash with Edson Barboza would have thrilled fans.
Instead, Aldo faced Mario Bautista in Salt Lake City (yuck) and Aiemann Zahabi in Montreal—matches that left fans scratching their heads. Neither opponent was a top contender, nor did the fights carry significant stakes for Aldo’s legacy or title aspirations.
Still, Aldo embraced the matchmaking, driven by an unrelenting desire to reclaim UFC gold.
“There are no regrets,” Aldo told Ariel Helwani. “I’m only grateful and thankful to Sean Shelby for the matchmaking, because it’s always going to be a show, regardless of the opponent. Whether it’s a young, up-and-coming fighter, I’m always ready. I don’t worry about myself or what I can do. I know I can deliver, and I was always prepared.
“I always told my coach [Andre Pederneiras]—if I’m getting superfights against older guys, that means I’m not there. That means the dream of being a champ isn’t there,” Aldo added. “I trained, worked, and wanted to be a champion. If I fought a guy like Cruz, maybe people would see it as, ‘These guys are older.’ Why put on the fight? Just for people to watch? That’s outside the dream of wanting to be a champion.
“Basically, I told people, if I don’t beat the up-and-comers, if I don’t get through those challenges, then why am I here? Why compete?” Aldo concluded. “Because I want to be a champion, and I wanted to be the best. So I’m just very thankful for Sean Shelby and the matchmaking.”
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
