Jose Aldo Announces Retirement from MMA Once Again
Jose Aldo is retiring from mixed martial arts once again. The former UFC featherweight champion made his second retirement announcement on Saturday. This decision came after a controversial loss to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315—a fight that many fans believed Aldo had actually won.
Aldo and Zahabi engaged in three hard rounds of combat in the Montreal showdown. The first two rounds were closely contested. Although Zahabi clearly pulled ahead in Round 3, Aldo managed to take him down. With a score of 29–28, the judges unanimously declared Zahabi the winner. However, according to a poll by MMA Decisions, 75% of MMA media and fans felt Aldo should have been declared the winner.
Despite the debatable result, Aldo wasn’t motivated by his opponents anymore. Speaking through a Portuguese interpreter, Aldo said,
“Thank you to Dana [White], Sean [Shelby], Lorenzo Fertitta, and everyone at the UFC for everything they’ve given me.”
“I don’t think I have it in me anymore. This week has been difficult. It wasn’t just about cutting weight or training—it was everything. A lot happened, and going through all of it was incredibly hard.”
He continued,
“At one point this week, I realized I just didn’t have that drive anymore. I didn’t want to cut weight. My body was saying no, and I knew I didn’t have it in me anymore. I don’t want to continue arguing in this manner. I don’t want to endure all of this any longer. My heart’s just not in it. I think this is the last time you’ll see me here. I simply can no longer do it.
This was Aldo’s first featherweight fight since 2019, as he failed to meet the planned bantamweight limit. He had previously retired in 2022 but returned for three more UFC fights after a brief stint in boxing.
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Main subject (Jose Aldo)
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Action/Outcome (Retirement Announcement)
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Opponent’s name (Aiemann Zahabi)
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A compelling descriptor (“Controversial Loss”) to boost click-through
Aldo is still a major player in the debate about the best featherweights of all time. In addition to competing for the UFC bantamweight title, he was a former WEC and UFC featherweight champion. His legendary 18-fight win streak includes victories over Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes (twice), Urijah Faber, Cub Swanson, and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. Additionally, he shared the cage with other champions such as Merab Dvalishvili, Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and Conor McGregor. He was admitted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023 and ends his career with a 32-10 record.
