Jose Aldo Believes He’s Near The End OF His MMA Career
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will face Jeremy Stephens in his first non-title bout in more than nine years at UFC on FOX 30 this Saturday (July 28, 2018) from Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Aldo revealed to MMAFighting that his career is near to end, as he has three fights left in his UFC contract after Stephen’s showdown and he intends not to renew the deal with the promotion.
”No, I don’t think so,” Aldo said when asked if he plans on signing a new deal with the UFC after he completes his current contract. “It doesn’t cross my mind to sign a new contract after.”
Aldo knows his career is near to an end, which motivates him more to give out his best to not lose but to stay on top just like in the early days of his fighting career.
”I think it’s easier because you know it’s coming near the end, so you have to give your all because you don’t want to go out on a loss, you want to go out on top,” Aldo said. “It’s a lot easier seeing the end of the tunnel and working harder because you know it’s coming to the end.
”When you’re starting there’s that euphoria, but I remain the same. I dream of being champion and dream going out as champion. That’s my biggest motivation. … I take much pride in winning, I don’t accept losses, so I’m always going after that. The day I lose this fire, I think it’s time for us to stop.”
Aldo is giving priority to his health first, as many falls to the victim of a weight cut, so he doesn’t want to traumatize his body down the road by continuing inside the octagon.
”That’s why I think it’s the right moment to stop,” Aldo said. “The first goal is to recapture the belt and then think about it. Not only me, but every athlete fears that. Health comes first, and we have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Aldo leads the featherweight division for years before Conor Mcgregor defeated him back in 2015 to capture the belt from him. He would love to regain the title again, if not nothing to lose, as his legacy is still intact.
”We’re training each time more because I want to conquer that, but I think that if we don’t get it, I think I do,” Aldo said. “I think I leave a good legacy for new athletes who are coming up. There are new people at featherweight, bantamweight, lightweight, any other weight class that is inspired by the legacy I’m leaving.”
In his last two fight, Aldo suffered the defeat by the hands of featherweight champion Max Holloway and has dropped three of his last four.
Do you think Aldo will snap his two-fight skid this Saturday?
