José Aldo WILL fight Max Holloway for the featherweight crown at UFC 218. But it was a close call…
The Brazilian only got the call to challenge Holloway for the 145lbs strap when number one contender Frankie Edgar had to withdraw through injury.
Aldo lost to ‘Blessed’ earlier this year to lose the belt he won at UFC 200 [beating Edgar], which then changed from ‘interim’ to ‘undisputed’ when Conor McGregor went off chasing bigger foes. He was never going to pass up the chance to immediately reclaim his belt but he missed out on completing a full training camp.
That is perhaps the reason why ‘Junior’ found his latest weight cut so difficult. 36 hours out from his fight with Holloway, Aldo was looking shaky as he stepped up to the scales in Detroit.
He figured he would be just about on 145lbs but his reaction upon hearing the scales had registered 146lbs, which would have ruled him out of competing for the title, was memorable.
Credit: MMA Fighting‘You, what?!’
Aldo’s trainers then had to come out with a UFC-branded towel while the Brazilian took off his shorts and had another go. Luckily enough, the shorts weighed exactly one pound as he came in at exactly 145lbs second time around.
Jose Aldo looked to have a little trouble today at the #UFC218 Official Weigh-ins… Watch full video: https://t.co/FMraASn5HM pic.twitter.com/CCwbWcuIvG
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) December 1, 2017
By the skin of his teeth, so.
Holloway, the champion, also needed to completely de-robe to make 145lbs but he will not be thanking fellow fighter Justin Gaethje for lifting the towel just before the Hawaiian took to the scales. Blurring technology at the ready…
Before the weight-cut dramas, Aldo had been talking a good fight. He told Brazilian outlet Combate:
“I found my will to fight again, and now I’m back. You can be sure I’m going to to give my best from start to end. They’ll have to pull me out dead from there. Dead, but with the belt.”
That cut looks to have scared Aldo half to death but he now has time to rehydrate and pile a good few pounds back on before his latest date with destiny.
