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UFC legend Jose Aldo reflected on the positive aspects of his second tenure in the UFC. Aldo announced his first retirement in 2022 after his quest for the second bantamweight title shot ended with a unanimous decision loss against Merab Dvalishvili. While he returned to the octagon in 2024, 'The King of Rio' retired again after his recent defeat against Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315, explaining that he no longer felt the need to pursue the championship goal.
Aldo's second tenure was characterized by fights against relatively unknown but highly skilled opponents, with little to gain in terms of furthering his legacy and title implications.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, the former UFC featherweight champion was asked if he regretted not taking mega-fights against fighters of similar stature in the final chapter of his career. Aldo replied:
"No regrets... I'm only greatful and thankful to Sean [Shelby] for the matchmaking. There was always going to be a show regardless of whether they were young or up-and-coming. I was always going to be ready. I am ready, I only worry about myself and what I can do. I know I can always deliver and I was always prepared for the fights."
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Speaking about potential fights against fellow legends such as Dominick Cruz, Aldo said:
"If I was getting super fights against older dudes, that means I'm not there. That means the dream of being a champ is dead. That means if I fought a guy like Dominick Cruz, maybe people would just see it like these are older dudes that are just putting the fight on for people to watch. That's outside of that dream of wanting to be a champion and training for that." [Via translator]
Check out Jose Aldo's comments below:
Jose Aldo's heartwarming statement after retirement from MMA competition
After announcing his retirement, Jose Aldo took to Instagram shared a heartwarming message reflecting on his long and storied MMA career. The 38-year-old shared several pictures with his coach and family, while the emotional caption read:
"The cage has always been my place. The Struggle, My Life. Today, I end this cycle with my soul in peace. I'm not going back because I have already fulfilled my purpose — with blood, sweat, discipline and honor. Been years of totally focused and dedicated to this. Now it's time to live and enjoy alongside my family, to help those who are starting and to inspire beyond the octagon. Thanks to those who walked with me. Happy for all I've achieved!" [Translated from Portuguese]
Despite facing challenging losses in the later part of his professional MMA career, Jose Aldo is widely considered among the greatest fighters of all time. He still holds the record for most consecutive title defences in the combined UFC and WEC featherweight history (nine title defences), and his name is often mentioned in the MMA GOAT debate.
