José Aldo with the crown of King of Rio in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC_brasil
At 38, José Aldo ended his MMA career after a controversial loss to Aiemann Zahabi No. UFC 315, held in Montreal (Canada), in the early hours of this Saturday (10). The unanimous decision of the judges, which granted victory to the Canadian after three intense rounds, generated outrage among fighters and fans, who classified the result as 'theft'. At the center of the reactions, names such as Max Holloway e Renato Moicano highlighted the legacy of the former champion, while criticism of the verdict dominated social media.
To the microphone of Daniel Cormier, Aldo announced the end of his MMA career. The fighter cited psychological difficulties during the fight week, in addition to physical exhaustion.
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“I don’t want to go to war anymore. My body said no, and my heart is not here anymore. I realized it’s time to enjoy my family. That’s not part of my life anymore,” said the ‘King of Rio’ in a post-fight interview.
The farewell marked the second farewell for the 'King of Rio', who had already retired in 2022 after a defeat to Merab Dvalishvili, but returned in 2024 with a victory over Jonathan martinezThis time, however, the decision seems final.
'The Last Dance'
In his last appearance in the Octagon, Aldo faced Zahabi in a bout initially scheduled for bantamweight (61,2 kg.), but rescheduled for featherweight (65,7 kg.) after the Brazilian failed to meet the weight limit. The change exposed the fighter's physical exhaustion, who arrived at the weigh-in visibly exhausted.
In the opening rounds, the former champion showed signs of his peak: he combined precise jabs, body kicks and a knockdown in the third round, almost finishing his opponent with a kick to the head.
Zahabi, however, resisted and retaliated with a series of elbows and punches at the end of the round, leaving Aldo bloodied. The judges scored it 29-28 in favor of the Canadian.
Tributes to José Aldo
The MMA community paid tribute. Max Holloway, who defeated Aldo in 2017, called him 'a legend' and 'one of the greatest of all time'. Dan Ige, from the same division as the man from Manaus, named the fighter as the 'GOAT' (Best in history).
Renato Moicano, in turn, did not hold back on criticizing the result. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Brazilian called the decision an 'absurd robbery' and questioned the logic of Aldo returning to the UFC after his first retirement.
With 32 wins and ten losses, José Aldo leaves MMA as the greatest defender of the featherweight belt in UFC history (7 consecutive defenses) and a member of the Hall of Fame since 2023.
His career, which began in 2004, includes victories over legends such as Urijah faber, Frankie Edgar e Chad Mendes, in addition to two reigns as champion — interrupted only by Conor McGregor, in 2015, and Holloway, in 2017.
Jose aldo is a legend. Love to one of the greatest.
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) May 11, 2025
@josealdojunior always a
— Dan Ige (@Dynamitedan808) May 11, 2025
Absolutely legendary!!! You had a great career!!! Enjoy your retirement legend!! # ufc315
— Renato Moicano (@moicanoufc) May 11, 2025
Maybe one of the worst decisions of the sport MMA was Aldo getting back to the ufc after he retired!!! Unbelievable the last 2 fights!!! Fucking robbery!! # ufc315
— Renato Moicano (@moicanoufc) May 11, 2025
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