José Aldo entering UFC fight. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter/UFC Europe
It really can't be easy to carry on the legacy of José Aldo within the UFC. The 'King of Rio', who hung up the gloves No. UFC 315, is considered the greatest featherweight (65,7 kg) in history, defended his Ultimate title seven times and was named a member of the organization's Hall of Fame. However, Jafel Filho, his training partner at Nova União, is willing to take on this responsibility.
In an interview with UFC Brazil, Jafel highlighted the weight and responsibility of representing the legacy of José Aldo in MMA. The 'Pastor' said that he trained alongside the former champion in his last two camps, receiving direct guidance and personal encouragement, which further increased his motivation in his journey within the Ultimate.
See too
“Today we have a legacy to carry on. I even told my friends that now we have a triple responsibility to carry on a little of Aldo’s legacy, because it’s impossible to carry on everything he left us. The last two camps I did were with Aldo. He even led some mitt training for me, giving me a lot of guidance. That just warmed my heart even more. I remember him saying: ‘You’re going to be champion of this category one day’, and that already made me more excited, with more desire.”, he said. Jafel Filho.
In the fight that closes the preliminary card of the ufc vegas 107, Jafel Filho will come face to face with an old acquaintance. The Nova União fighter showed respect for Allan 'Puro Osso' and highlighted his long career as one of the main names in the flyweight category (up to 56,7 kg) when both were still active on the national scene. Despite his admiration, Jafel said he was confident in his own abilities for the confrontation.
“I’ve been following Allan for a long time. He’s always been among the best in the category here in Brazil, so we’ve been following him because we admire his work. He has my utmost respect. He pursues the same goals as me. He has a very good stand-up game, very aggressive, and also a very aggressive jiu-jitsu game. But I have the best jiu-jitsu game in the world within the category. So, if it’s jiu-jitsu against jiu-jitsu, it’s easy. And, standing up, I also believe I have more power with my hands. So, no matter how the fight unfolds, I believe we’ll do very well,” concluded the Nova União fighter.
After debuting in the UFC with a loss to Muhammad Mokayev, Jafel Filho recovered and strung together two consecutive victories. Now, the fighter has the chance to extend his positive streak in ufc vegas 107.
You need login To comment.