'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQb/2gAIAQEAAAAAIqP/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAECEAAAAH//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAEDEAAAAAf/xAAfEAACAgIBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBQYAESEyQUT/2gAIAQEAAT8AfSaGq5GKLCW5ZMzaprLAz/QzosyBuoITxbh0bHMS1rYoobB7yRJRdgjewDz/xAAYEQEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADBP/aAAgBAgEBPwDk0zYrn//EABoRAAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDAAUEEVH/2gAIAQMBAT8AuLB2OwRDm5//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chael Sonnen lauded Jose Aldo for his longevity and success in mixed martial arts.
Aldo, who was unbeaten in the sport for just over 10 years from November 2005 to December 2015, will face No.4-ranked Rob Font in the main event of UFC on ESPN 31 aka UFC Vegas 44.
Speaking on his Beyond the Fight YouTube show, Sonnen claimed 'Junior' is now an inspiration to him in spite of the pair's past animosity.
"Jose Aldo and I, when we were competing at the same time, we never got along not once. He will tell you the same thing about me. He is an inspiration to me right now. I don't know if there is a bigger compliment that you can give than to say you look up to somebody. I look up to what Jose Aldo is doing. He gives me hope, he gives me props. I am not ever coming back. But he makes me feel like maybe I could... In my lifetime, nobody's going a 11 years undefeated. Jose's already done it. When he had that level of success, he wanted it back. That's where the changing of the physiology came in. You guys have seen him, right? He is carved out of stone," said Sonnen.
Watch Chael Sonnen speak about the upcoming Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo fight below:
Sonnen, 44, retired from MMA in June 2019 following his second-round TKO loss to Lyoto Machida at Bellator 222.
Jose Aldo is a former two-time UFC featherweight champion who has also challenged for the bantamweight title
Jose Aldo is arguably the greatest featherweight MMA star of all time. He has held the 145-pound championship twice in the UFC and once in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC).
Aldo is the longest reigning featherweight titleholder in UFC history (2037 days). 'Junior' also has the most successful title defenses in the division (7).
The 35-year-old holds a 30-7 win-loss record. Since becoming a bantamweight, he has fought for the vacant belt once during an unsuccessful attempt vs. Petr Yan at UFC 251 on Fight Island.
