J. Aldo (left) was surpassed by M. Dvalishvili (right) in the UFC 278. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
José Aldo hung up the gloves No. UFC 315, but he left an unforgettable legacy in MMA. The 'King of Rio' was the first featherweight champion (up to 65,7 kg), defended the title seven times, regained the belt and even fought for the title in the bantamweight division (up to 61,2 kg). Known for his aggressive style and his knockouts, Aldo also highlights a fundamental that is often undervalued by fans: takedown defense.
Participating in the live 'MMA Brasil', Aldo explained how, even without training in wrestling, he surprised everyone by defending 16 takedown attempts from the current champion Merab Dvalishvili, an expert in the field. He attributed this ability to his strong background in Jiu-Jitsu.
See too
“People keep saying, ‘Wow, you defended 16 takedowns from Merab, he’s an expert.’ My brother, I haven’t trained in wrestling for five years. It’s all a technique that I have, that I developed, and it’s the one that works best. I get compared to American wrestlers, even though I don’t even train in that, and those guys have been doing it their whole lives. I’m a grappling guy who learned to fight standing up and did very well,” he explained. José Aldo.
Jose Aldo predicts a different rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley
The former rival of José Aldo, Merab Dvalishvili, enters action next Saturday (7) in a rematch against Sean O'Malley, in the main fight of the UFC 316. For the 'King of Rio', the duel promises to be very different from the first confrontation, but with the same result.
“I think Sean understood that he has to be training. Merab is a very tough guy, bro, you have to respect him. The guy fought talking to the crowd and took out O'Malley for nothing. Now he (O'Malley) has gotten his head around it, prepared himself, understood the moment, and it will be another fight. But I think Merab will win”, concluded the 'King of Rio'.
Career of Jose Aldo
At 38, José Aldo Aldo has fought his 42nd fight in a 21-year career and has stepped into the octagon 23 times. He announced his second retirement from MMA after returning to the UFC in 2024, after a break that began in 2022 to focus on boxing and family. Aldo started in national MMA in 2004, became WEC featherweight champion in 2008 and was promoted to the UFC title in 2011 after the merger of the organizations. Recognized as one of the greatest, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023 and won Fighter of the Year and Fight of the Year awards at the World MMA Awards.
You need login To comment.