UFC veteran Jose Aldo expressed significant unhappiness with his recent performance against Mario Bautista. He revealed he initially avoided discussing the fight, describing the 15 minutes of action at UFC 307 in October as “sh*tty” and lacking intensity.
Now preparing to face Aiemann Zahabi on May 10 at UFC 315 in Canada, the former UFC and WEC featherweight champion shared his frustrations about the previous match and the adjustments he has since implemented.
Speaking at the UFC 315 media day, Aldo stated, “I focused on myself, I focused on my skills, on what I have to do best. The fight I had last time was so bad, I can`t do that anymore. What everybody expects when they see Aldo fight are exciting fights, to go in there and do my best, and that didn`t happen. It was a bad fight.”
Instead of spending excessive time studying his upcoming opponent or anticipating specific attacks that might not come, Aldo decided to concentrate on his own abilities. He emphasized this focus is “how I became champion, and that`s how I should be.”
Aldo elaborated on his self-criticism: “I was angry at myself. I felt really bad. Not just about the fight, but I know I`m capable of more. I don`t want to diminish my opponent`s performance, but I know my own potential. I`m stronger, I`m more skilled than Mario, and I shouldn`t have just been inactive in the cage allowing things to happen. I felt terrible, honestly. I couldn`t even face myself or talk about fighting after that performance.”
He acknowledged the negative reception: “I know the fans were upset, the UFC, everyone. I`m paid well to perform my job. Regardless of winning or losing, you need to do your job effectively. I understood what I needed to change to improve for this upcoming fight. I have to focus on myself, as I always did before. Back then, there wasn`t extensive opponent research via the internet telling you, `your opponent does this and that.` I expected him to do certain things, and nothing happened, and the referee didn`t separate us either. It was a really ugly fight, and I was very annoyed. Get in there and fight! Win or lose, it doesn`t matter, just go perform the job you`re paid for.”
Aldo returned from retirement for bouts against Jonathan Martinez and Bautista before being matched with Zahabi, a booking some fans found more surprising than his previous opponents. Aldo, however, stated he was not surprised by the opponent choice and criticized higher-ranked fighters who are unwilling to face names positioned several spots below them.
“To become champion, whether the opponent is a big name or not, I need to use my skills and overcome them,” Aldo remarked. “The Martinez fight was good; some expected him to dominate me after my break, but I performed well. Different issues arose in the Mario fight, leading to that poor performance. Given my level, I must do much better. I should have gone in there and finished him. He didn`t have advanced skills or heavy punches. I saw his strikes coming and was just fooling around instead of engaging. I can`t accept that kind of performance.”
He added, “I don`t blame the UFC either. I feel like fine wine; I improve with age. I`m more explosive, experienced, faster, and that`s why I should just accept fights and not choose opponents saying, `I want a big name.` I shouldn`t have a dreadful fight like two out-of-shape retired fighters who get hit once and fall. That`s not my style.”
Aldo promised a more aggressive approach against Zahabi. He also made a subtle reference to UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, who defeated him by decision in August 2022 using a wrestling-heavy strategy, although without achieving successful takedowns.
“If I`m performing at the highest level, and I have what`s required to become champion – a situation where perhaps even the current champion might be hesitant to fight because they know it was a difficult match and the judges helped them,” Aldo stated, subtly hinting at Dvalishvili. “Everyone knows my capabilities. And I know it too, seeing how I perform in training, sparring effectively against younger fighters. I need to go into the fight and perform intelligently, not poorly.”
Marcus Blakely