Jose Aldo’s long time coach and owner of the Nova Uniao gym Andre Pederneiras has issued a statement in which he calls for people to show more respect to the former featherweight champion who suffered a 13 second KO loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 194 on Saturday night.
Pederneiras rightly points to Aldo’s rags-to-riches life story and his remarkable 10 year undefeated record as reasons why the 29 year-old still deserves to be treated as a legend of the sport rather than be dismissed as yesterday’s news.
Unfortunately the fickle nature of some fans and journalists always seems to come to the fore in situations like this as we’ve already experienced just a month ago when Ronda Rousey experienced similar treatment after her equally earth-shattering loss.
Interestingly, one person who hasn’t looked to kick Aldo while he’s down is the man who so handily defeated him on Saturday night – Conor McGregor.
“Respect to a great champion in Jose Aldo,” McGregor wrote in a statement the day after the fight. “The true greats will always overcome adversity. I wish him and his loyal team well on their journey back. Much respect.”
Read the full statement in from Pederneiras in support of Aldo below.
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I have a deep sense of loss at this moment. Not only because of Jose Aldo’s belt, but mainly because of the lack of respect to our great champion, who maintained the UFC belt for four years and seven months, for seven fights (not counting his almost two years and three fights with the WEC title). I got back (to Brazil) and saw comments from people that certainly don’t know anything about fighting. And if they do, they never got anywhere, because those who achieved something in our sport know how hard is to compete at the highest level, against athletes from all over the world, and defeat them for many years.
When Brazil had no other champion, in a tense moment, Aldo maintained his title. After that, two other Brazilians joined him, maintaining the fame and recognition of the country in MMA. The only thing I ask everyone is respect to our great champion. For those who say it was fixed, I’d rather not comment, because they don’t deserve time and attention.
Last Saturday, Jose Aldo lost his belt in a fight in which he couldn’t show how well trained and prepared psychologically he was. There was no taunting that could enter his head, there was no technical failure, just an unusual blow. A blow like that, connecting in someone’s chin while moving forward, isn’t something that happens all the time. But it has happened with us. If it was the opposite, with McGregor being punched in the chin and Aldo in the eyebrow, we would be calling Aldo a superchampion today, the best of all times, but this is how sports are. Better luck for McGregor, who won and, therefore, is the new champion.
We need to understand that Jose Aldo is a human being subject to defeats, like any other. Those who show up criticizing him should think: this guy came from Manaus to Rio with nothing, to live in a gym, sleep on the mat, and wake up late so he wouldn’t starve since he had no money to have breakfast. He got where he were, always believing he would be a champion, and became one, due to hard work and dedication. The people’s champion.
Would those who are out there criticizing, talking about embarrassment, have the courage to do what he did? I bet not. If they did, they would know how hard is to win in a country where it’s rare to have support to sports. My message to critics is this: get up from the chair, get out from the computer, drop the phone, and do better. We need more people like Aldo and less critics from the couch.
The king has left, but will be back shortly.
Andre Pederneiras, Nova Uniao leader. More than a team, a family!
