José Aldo is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame (Photo: Reproduction/YouTube)
About to make his 23rd fight in the Ultimate, José Aldo has been heavily criticized for accepting to face opponents who, according to fans and experts, do not value his legendary status. In UFC 315, scheduled for next Saturday (10), will be no different. The 'King of Rio' will share the octagon with the little known Aiemann Zahabi. However, the former champion downplays who is on the other side of the fight, as his focus is in another direction.
In an interview with UFC Brazil, Aldo made it clear that his priority is to step into the cage and do what he has always done best: fight. Without worrying about names, rankings or complex strategies, the Brazilian stated that he is no longer interested in studying opponents or choosing fights based on their position. For him, the most important thing is to perform and give his best, regardless of who is on the other side.
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“I have to go in there and fight, my brother, as it has always been. In this new fight, I tried to change. I don’t want to know about any opponent anymore. Everyone says: ‘You have to study your opponent’, ‘I can’t fight the sixth because I’m the fourth’… There’s no such thing! I want to go in there and do my best. That’s why I don’t choose names. I have to go in there and fight, that’s what I’m paid for.”, he said. José Aldo.
Aldo says it's his opponents who should be worried about him
Confident in his own trajectory, Aldo stated that his opponents should be the ones concerned about him, not the other way around. The fighter emphasized that everyone knows his potential and feels the weight of facing him. Therefore, he prefers to leave the planning in the hands of the team led by Dedé Pederneiras and focus only on delivering performance inside the cage.
“I think everyone knows who I am. Everyone will study me. Everyone can’t even sleep when they’re going to fight me. They know my potential, my strength. So why should I be worried? After everything I’ve been through, all the opponents I’ve faced… I left that aside. I left it to Dedé, I left it to the coaches, for everyone to see what’s best in me. Because I have to go in there and kick ass,” concluded the former featherweight champion.
At 38, José Aldo has 32 wins and nine losses in his career. With 17 knockouts on his record, the Brazilian made history by becoming the first UFC featherweight champion, a category in which he defended the title seven times before being dethroned. Currently, the 'King of Rio' is ranked tenth in the bantamweight rankings and is already part of the Ultimate Hall of Fame.
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