Is Jose Aldo Being Disrespected?
Jose Aldo is already a UFC Hall of Famer and one of the most decorated combat athletes ever. What he has accomplished at every place he has competed in will stand the test of time. However, after a devastating loss to Merab Dvalishvili in 2022, he retired from the UFC because he thought his time as a high-level athlete was behind him. He then went on to do boxing, and after being rather successful in that area, he thought he would give the UFC one more shot. This will be his third fight since returning to the UFC, and the level of competition he’s been facing isn’t what he needs if he wants to try and become a double-division champion before he hangs it up for good. Is Jose Aldo being disrespected, or has he given up on his goal at one more run and just doing this for the love of the game?
Before Jose Aldo initially retired, he was on the verge of a title shot. It was between him and T.J. Dillashaw as to who was going to face Aljamain Sterling for the Bantamweight Championship. The title shot was given to Dillashaw, and Aldo pivoted to a title eliminator fight against Merab. If he still had the motivation and desire to get a shot, he could have easily won one more big fight and earned himself a title shot. Taking two years away normally would have put him in the back of the line, but the Bantamweight Division didn’t have major changes; it was fairly consistent when it came to the rankings. They needed new talent and new fights to help prevent setting up rematches.
When Jose Aldo decided to make his surprising return to the UFC, he was matched up with a young prospect on the rise in Jonathan Martinez. Aldo completely dominated that fight from start to finish and looked like he would potentially set himself up for a top-five-ranked fight in his next contest. However, he was matched up with another rising prospect in Mario Bautista. He lost that fight, which for most fans was controversial because Bautista didn’t do much except stall against the fence and fail on all 10 of his takedown attempts. This Saturday, ‘The King of Rio’ returns for UFC 315 against unranked Aiemann Zahabi. Even though only one year separates them in age, I’m not sure the direction this fight will bring, either Aldo’s legacy or his status in the division if he can secure a victory. I would love to see Aldo have a rematch with Merab at some point because he was one of the only people to stuff every single takedown he threw at him. If Aldo could be more active in that fight, I believe he could steal the win.
With Merab Dvalishvili having beaten most of the athletes in the division, most of those fights weren’t relatively close. His rematch at UFC 316 against Sean O’Malley proves that the UFC is accepting whoever Merab wants at this point. The first contest wasn’t fairly competitive, and unless ‘Suga’ makes household changes to his style and gameplay, it will most likely play out the same way. Making room for a guy like Aldo to step in against one of the top fighters in the division to claim his spot in a rematch against Merab. We will find out this Saturday whether he wins or loses if Aldo has given up on his goal of double-champ status. Either way, make sure to tune in to watch the ‘King of Rio’ every time he steps into the octagon because you never know when it could be the last time.
