Jose Aldo had a dominant performance in the co-main event of UFC 301 against Jonathan Martinez. Even though Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg was the main event, most fans who bought the PPV or attended wanted to watch Aldo in action. Aldo did not disappoint the fans as he won 30-27 on all three scorecards. Though the fight ended in a decision, fans and fighters in attendance stood up to acknowledge the legendary fighter.
Moreover, he badly hurt Martinez in the third round and almost got a finish. The former two-time featherweight champion hurt Martinez on the feet but took him down to leave no hopes for a Martinez comeback. Aldo walked out with a crown on his head and out of the octagon with it, too. After all, he is Jose Aldo – ‘The King of Rio.’ The memory of Aldo celebrating with crowds after he knocked out Chad Mendes is still fresh in the memory of fight fans.
The fight was the last of his existing contract. However, the victory over the half-Mexican, half-Salvadorian American has opened a path for a title shot for Aldo. He has expressed interest in it as well. Moreover, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley also flirted with the idea of fighting the former two-time featherweight champion and one-time bantamweight title challenger
Why does Jose Aldo’s victory deserve more praise?
In the UFC, fighters over the age of 35, particularly in divisions from welterweight and under, have inferior records to the ones younger than 35. The stark difference is most common in UFC title fights where only Tyron Woodley has won title fights aged more than 35 – against Demian Maia and Darren Till. The main reason for this might be the high level of skill and athleticism needed to compete at the top of the smaller weight divisions.
The UFC’s flyweight division is relatively new and thus has a weak roster, unlike bantamweight. The UFC’s bantamweight and lightweight divisions have more depth than any other. Moreover, the bantamweight division in MMA likely has the most depth. After all, PFL and ONE FC have impressive 135lb fighters like Patchy Mix and Demetrious Johnson. In this context, Aldo’s victory at UFC 301 is an anomaly and deserves more praise.
Jose Aldo at UFC 301 (Image via: Instagram)Jonathan Martinez is 30 years old and was on a 6-fight winning streak before he fought Aldo. Two of his past three victories were via leg kick TKO. In between the two leg kick TKOs, Martinez defeated the dangerous Said Nurmagomedov via decision. Even though he was a flyweight champion in a regional promotion, Martinez is a good-sized bantamweight. However, he couldn’t employ his game plan against the agile and precise Aldo.
Aldo neutralized Martinez’s leg kicks and countered them effectively. Even though he was once a featherweight, he seemed faster than his opponent, who once was a flyweight. After a motorcycle accident, Aldo did not use his leg kicks like before. However, he has improved his boxing, as evidenced by his performances inside the ring after his initial retirement, after losing to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City.
Will Aldo break the 35+ curse?
No fighter in the history of the UFC has won a flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, or lightweight title fight. Henry Cejudo came close against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 but lost via split decision. Moreover, former pound-for-pound kings Kamaru Usman and Alexander Volkanovski didn’t win title fights after turning 35. Josh Emmett, Jorge Masvidal, and Colby Covington also suffered losses to relatively younger opponents.
Jose Aldo might be the one to break the curse. Aldo is 4-3 since he moved down to featherweight. The three losses were against Petr Yan, Merab Dvalishvili, and Marlon Moraes. It’s public knowledge that judges robbed against Moraes. Against Yan, he had an impressive showing, but cardio failed him. The fight against Dvalishvili had no action, and the Georgian only won because he held Aldo against the cage. The fight against the Georgian fighter was at a high altitude. If not, the result might’ve been different.
Jose Aldo at UFC 301 (Image via: Instagram)Sean O’Malley is already interested in fighting a legend like Aldo. After all, having the name ‘Jose Aldo’ in your resume is always good for an MMA fighter. The UFC would likely entertain the idea if O’Malley pushed for a fight with Aldo. Moreover, a fight between O’Malley vs. Aldo would do bigger numbers than O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili, though the Georgian deserves more. After all, Aldo once went undefeated for almost ten years and was in the pound-for-pound discussions.
In his latest fight, Marlon Vera hurt O’Malley with a body shot by the end of the round. Jose Aldo has been targeting the body of his opponents more frequently now. O’Malley has shown a durable chin, as evidenced by his fight against Petr Yan, but chins don’t protect body shots. Therefore, there is a huge chance Aldo could drop O’Malley with a body shot if they fought. Moreover, Aldo won’t have to worry about wrestling and could break the 35+ curse.
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