In a sense, Jose Aldo’s loss to Max Holloway was arguably the toughest title loss of his career.
The longest-reigning featherweight champion in UFC history would give anything to fire up his time machine and zoom back to the MGM on December 12, 2015. After that Sisyphean build-up, complete with a world tour, in which ‘the Notorious’ kept wearing down Aldo with his mental warfare tactics, the fight itself was mercifully short.
13 seconds and it was over.
McGregor earned that spectacular victory. He went through two training camps, chipped away at Aldo’s focus at every opportunity, drilled that patented Celtic Cross backstage then landed it perfectly once that cage door slammed shut. Yet still, some people actually argue that the victory was so convincing that it left a shadow of a doubt. ‘It was a lucky shot. A rematch would go very differently,’ you might hear.
Yet still, some people actually argue that the victory was so convincing that it left a shadow of a doubt. ‘It was a lucky shot. A rematch would go very differently,’ you might hear. The problem with interpretations like these is that they’re very difficult to argue against. If someone stubbornly accepts a certain reality, they’re not going to be easily convinced that their eyes deceived them. That’s why one could say Holloway’s win over Aldo, only the Brazilian great’s second in almost 12 years, was more crushing.
That’s why one could say Holloway’s win over Aldo, only the Brazilian great’s second in almost 12 years, was more crushing.
The man's an absolute savage #UFC212 https://t.co/6DFRSccpgH
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 4, 2017
Holloway did exactly what he promised he would do. He entered the lion’s den, took over Aldo’s village and seized the throne. He dropped the opening two rounds, but the tide started shifting in his favour after that taunt towards the end of the second. Once he entered that flow state of savagery, it felt like David Attenborough would have been more suited to the play-by-play commentary role, as the predator toyed with his prey.
A one-two combination dropped him, then Holloway trapped the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt on the mat. Aldo bucked and shifted his body desperately trying to escape, but it was all in vain. Holloway beat him down to the ground, then beat him down some more. The referee had no choice but to put Aldo out of his misery.
15,500 Brazilians fell eerily silent. It was like Rumble sending Alexander Gustaffson to Stockholm’s shadow realm or Stipe Miocic closing the curtains on Fabricio Werdum in Curitiba. The man who the crowds had been calling ‘the people’s champ’ all week had been emphatically destroyed. It couldn’t be put down to luck, the referee couldn’t be blamed for a bad stoppage – it was just one fighter performing better than the other.
Despite this, Aldo is still hungry.
Handled it perfectly #UFC212
https://t.co/sB7CC9bcIW— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 4, 2017
‘Scarface’ released a statement on Instagram (transcribed by Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting) that was nothing short of the epitome of class. Aldo had so much support for this fight and he did not forget to thank those who had stuck by his side through everything.
“Be content to act, and leave the talking to others” – Baltasar Gracian
“I only have to thank my ‘dad’ Andre Pederneiras, the best team in the world, Nova Uniao, because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be the people’s champion, and (thank) all my trainers, who did a super well done job and got me ready, and all my fans who are always with me, here’s my love and my thank you. I’m speechless with all the love I’ve received until today, and every word you send to me. Thank you.”
As for the future, he’s ready to get right back up on that unforgiving bronco called ‘the fight game’. He’s down, but he is by no means done.
“The rest, fuck it, because I’ll come back, because we go down so we can get back up!! That’s it!! We’ll be back!!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BU-CQerDJ8H/?taken-by=josealdojunioroficial&hl=en
