Jose Aldo announced his retirement after losing a call to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315, saying in his post-fight interview that “I simply don’t have it in my coronary heart anymore”. Talking to UFC Brazil moments later, he revealed he was coping with important accidents going into the occasion.
“This combat was onerous,” Aldo mentioned. “I had a muscle tear on the arm, I had one thing on the stomach that I forgot the title, down there, [from] kicking so much. I had some issues. A virus an infection, a bunch of issues. The docs [said], ‘Get him out of the combat,’ however I didn’t wish to as a result of in my head I knew this might be my final combat.”
Aldo was coming off a disappointing defeat to Mario Bautista in October and went three onerous rounds with Zahabi, occurring to lose a controversial decision. The match was initially scheduled for 135 kilos, however was moved to featherweight after Aldo had points chopping weight.
The previous UFC and WEC featherweight champion ends his profession with a MMA report of 32-10, going 8-0 in WEC and 14-9 within the UFC.
“I wished to finish right here in Canada,” Aldo mentioned. “I began right here, and wished to finish right here. I might finish it in Brazil or some place else, however no. My story began right here in Canada, that is the place I first fought within the UFC towards Mark Hominick. But it surely’s half [of life].”
The Brazilian legend mentioned he wouldn’t have executed issues completely different had the UFC booked him towards fellow veterans, similar to Dominick Cruz, and mentioned he already thought-about retirement earlier than the occasion.
“I had that in thoughts already, was speaking to [coach] ‘Dede’ [Pederneiras] and [Aldo’s wife] Viviane [Pereira], that I wished to cross to the opposite aspect,” Aldo mentioned. “I believe it’s extra of the mindset of getting in there — I wouldn’t say I used to be filled with it, however to see I actually should cross to the opposite aspect. I all the time demand so much from myself, however now I wish to get pleasure from my household, be a father, decide up my children at college. That’s what I wish to do.”
That is the second time Aldo has retired from the UFC. Aldo left MMA after dropping to future champion Merab Dvalishvili in August 2022, transitioning to boxing and going 2-0-1 within the squared circle earlier than finally returning to the octagon in 2024. The 38-year-old has gained considered one of three fights since.
