Jose Aldo expects vintage Conor McGregor to finish Michael Chandler at UFC 303 - "Proves that I lost to the best"

Jose Aldo has weighed in on longtime rival Conor McGregor's highly-anticipated comeback fight against Michael Chandler.

Brazil's Aldo and Ireland's McGregor were involved in one of the most iconic rivalries in MMA and combat sports history. Their showdown ended with then-interim UFC featherweight champion McGregor defeating then-UFC featherweight champion Aldo via first-round KO in just 13 seconds at UFC 194 (Dec. 2015).

The knockout victory made McGregor the undisputed UFC featherweight champion, and he later captured the undisputed UFC lightweight title as well. Meanwhile, Aldo bounced back to become the interim UFC featherweight champion but failed to reclaim the undisputed featherweight belt.

'The King of Rio' eventually moved down to bantamweight but failed to win the UFC bantamweight title.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, the 37-year-old fighter gave his thoughts on Conor McGregor's return. 'The Notorious' hasn't competed in MMA since suffering a leg injury in July 2021. McGregor's set to make his comeback in a welterweight bout against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 (June 29, 2024).

When asked about Conor McGregor's lengthy hiatus, the leg injury, and the Chandler matchup, Aldo said the Irishman could put on a vintage performance. 'The King of Rio' stated:

"I have great expectations for that fight. And as I always say, I always root for the guys who I fought and the guys who have beaten me. Because, you know, that just proves that I lost to the best and I lost to champions. So, I hope that he can go in there and be the Conor of old, and be aggressive, and go in there to finish the fight, and not leave it to the judges. But, you know, I expect great things from that fight."

Check out Aldo's comments below (15:20):

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A closer look at Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor's recent runs

Jose Aldo's most recent MMA match was a bantamweight bout at UFC 278 (Aug. 2022) in which he suffered a unanimous decision loss against Merab Dvalishvili. Aldo, who has just one fight left on his UFC contract, was permitted by the organization to pursue a boxing career, which he did in 2023.

Presently, Aldo's set to return to MMA in a bantamweight bout against Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301 (May 4, 2024) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The UFC great is 3-2 in his past five MMA bouts, and it's unclear whether he'll retire after the Martinez clash.

On the other hand, Conor McGregor is 2-3 in his past five MMA bouts. McGregor's most recent fight witnessed him suffer a first-round TKO defeat against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 (July 2021). The leg injury he sustained in that match induced a hiatus that will end when he steps into the octagon against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 during International Fight Week in June.

'The Notorious' has vowed to make a triumphant return and compete more frequently.