Jose Aldo has hung up his gloves, according to reports from his native Brazil
Former UFC and WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, 36, who is regarded by many as among the best mixed martial arts fighters in history, has retired from the sport, according to reports from his native Brazil.
Aldo recently suffered a dispiriting defeat to Tbilisi native Merab Dvalishvili at the UFC’s fight card in Salt Lake City, Utah last month – a fight which snapped a three-fight win streak which had landed him on the doorstep of a potential bantamweight world title shot.
However, after coming up short in the close unanimous decision loss, the Brazilian fight icon has opted to step away from the MMA with one fight remaining on his UFC deal after negotiations with the organization in which they agreed to write off the final fight on his contract, per a report by Combate.
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The decision comes several days after Aldo’s longtime head coach Andre Pederneiras publicly advised his fighter to step away from mixed martial arts after declaring the former world champion had little left to prove.
Aldo had been expected to reveal his retirement after a farewell fight on the UFC’s scheduled event in Brazil in January but instead it appears as if he has hastened his decision to hang up his 4oz gloves.
However, his journey in combat sports might not yet be fully concluded. His arrangement with the UFC to remove the requirement for one more fight from his contract will free him up to compete in other combat sports such as boxing or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.