Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has vowed to return after losing his title to Max Holloway on Saturday night.
Given that just last year Aldo had appeared disillusioned with the sport and had been threatening to hang up his gloves, some fans feared that his third round TKO loss to Holloway may have broken his will to keep fighting, but it appears that is not the case.
“I just have to thank Paizão Andre Pederneiras, the best team in the world #novauniao, because if it were not (for them I) would not be the #peoples champion,” Aldo wrote on Instagram.
“To all my coaches who did the work super well done and left me ready and to all the fans that are always with me, here is my affection and my thank you. I am even speechless to speak of all the affection I received and I continue to receive today, every word of affection that they send me. Thank you.
“The rest, (expletive) because I’m going to be back because we fall to get up!! Then that’s it!! Let’s go back!!”
Aldo is still only 30-years-old and has now lost just three times in 29 fights, with the other two being against Conor McGregor in 2015 and Luciano Azevedo some 10 years prior to that.
The long-time UFC champion will also surely take heart from the fact that he appeared to be getting the better of Holloway in the first couple of rounds, before his opponent started to turn up the heat in the third and dropped him with a four-punch combo.
Aldo’s long-time coach Andre Pederneiras also noted yesterday that he didn’t use of the tools they had trained to implement, such as takedowns, while it appears that not using his powerful low kicks was a strategic decision.
However, Pederneiras is confident Aldo will quickly get back to winning ways and feels he’s still very close to another title shot.
“Max had a great achievement for the division, defeating an athlete who’s there for a long time, UFC champion, and I believe his next fight will be against Frankie Edgar. If Frankie wins, Aldo is back in a title fight, especially because he already beat him twice.”