Another statement and a half from UFC featherweight champion, Max Holloway.
The story of Holloway’s rise to the zenith of MMA is an inspirational one, but then again, so was Jose Aldo’s.
You won’t find the place where Holloway grew up in Hawaii on any of the brochures handed out to honeymooners and the same applies to Aldo’s hometown in Brazil.
Aldo went from being just another kid growing up in poverty in the favela to dedicating his life to perfecting martial arts. At one point, he slept on the same jiu-jitsu mat he went to work on in Nova Uniao. This hard work paid off as he propelled himself to become the greatest featherweight in the history of the sport, but nothing gold can stay.
The man's an absolute savage #UFC212 https://t.co/6DFRSccpgH
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 4, 2017
First it was Conor McGregor’s Cetlic Cross that dethroned him in 13 seconds, then it was Holloway’s savage beatdown that saw him lose the belt for the second time.
However, as the great Dominick Cruz said after losing his belt to Cody Garbrandt, ‘Loss is part of life. If you don’t have loss, you don’t grow.’ Judging by the statement Aldo released following his devastating defeat to Holloway, he fully intends on using the situation as a tool for growth. That’s one fo the reason why he will go down as one of the greats, it’s just right now, Holloway is the greatest.
The newly-crowned champion doesn’t want fans to forget that fact. He doesn’t want anyone to forget Aldo’s legacy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVC8uKOhJan/?taken-by=blessedmma&hl=en
“Losing is part of this fight game. Saturday night takes nothing away from his legacy.”
” This is a guy who would show up to his gym sometimes without eating in the last day because he was so damn poor. This is a guy who built the 45 division and became king. This is a guy who found motivation to keep earning what he already had.”
“He defended his throne. For a decade. For honor. For his team. For his countrymen.”
“This is a guy who didn’t start at pole position in this world and look at what he achieved. Brazil needs to celebrate that man. Acai with powdered milk and cashews for everyone. He’s a GOAT, and his story will always be an inspiration to me and people of Hawaii.”
“Obrigado, Ze @josealdojunioroficial Obrigado.”
