“I don’t think I have it in me anymore,” Jose Aldo revealed through an interpreter at the UFC 315 post-fight interview, announcing his retirement from the sport for the second time. ‘The King of Rio’s contribution to MMA has been nothing short of amazing. We all hoped to see a fairytale ending for the man who gave his blood, sweat, and tears to this sport, but instead, it’s all controversy right now. 

Jose Aldo vs. Aiemann Zahabi might be the most talked-about fight outside of the UFC 315 main event, and for very different reasons. Many believed the former 145-pound kingpin had done enough to secure the win against the Canadian fighter, yet the decision still went against him. In the end, the Brazilian walked away with another loss on his record and decided to call it quits. That outcome sparked outrage among fans, especially two of Brazil’s most recognized fighters, who became very vocal after the legend lost his bout. 

Renato Moicano and Rafael dos Anjos didn’t hold back as they ripped into the judges for the controversial decision. Both fighters took to X, where Moicano vented his frustration, writing: “Maybe one of the worst decisions in the sport. MMA was Aldo getting back to the UFC after he retired!!! Unbelievable the last 2 fights!!! F—g robbery!!” The former lightweight champion, dos Anjos, also expressed his rage and disappointment with judging and posted: “Bad judging made one of the best fighters to ever do it retire sooner. Aldo lost two fights in a row because of bad judges. That’s too bad, something needs to change. #UFC315”

Aldo’s countrymen rallying behind him in this moment is completely understandable. It wasn’t just this fight that sparked backlash from the MMA community; his previous outing against Mario Bautista at UFC 307 faced similar criticism. That decision also drew heat toward the judges, as many felt Bautista’s clinch-heavy style was favored over Aldo’s forward pressure and aggression. 

Now, coming back to the fight at UFC 315, both fighters definitely had their moments inside the Octagon over the course of their 15-minute battle. So naturally, arguments are coming from both sides. However, the support for Aldo continues to grow, with even current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski stepping in to back the Brazilian legend.

Alexander Volkanovski shows support for Jose Aldo over his controversial loss at UFC 315

The Brazilian fanbase has been firmly behind Jose Aldo since the loss, but two-time featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has also weighed in. The Aussie, who shared the Octagon with Aldo at UFC 237, has consistently credited ‘The King of Rio’ as one of the greatest to ever do it. However, he didn’t shy away from breaking down Aldo’s fight against Aiemann Zahabi, especially pointing to the third round, where things really started to heat up.

Volkanovski, in his YouTube video, said, “Aldo won round one but they gave the other two to his opponent. The second one, again, very close I wanna talk about the third round. It was clear Aldo pretty much the whole way through that round. In the middle of it, he hurt his opponent, and when we talk damage, it doesn’t get anymore damaging than that.”

The 145-pound kingpin, as a keen observer of the game, didn’t just highlight where his former opponent was performing well. Volkanovski also acknowledged how Aiemann Zahabi managed to turn things around, especially in the third round, recovering impressively after nearly getting knocked out, but the question still remains: was that enough?

He added, “He rocked him, dropped him, then dropped him with a crazy kick, proper soccer kick to the head. His opponent dominated the last bit, but is that enough when you’re losing most of the round? And you got proper beat up, it was that close to being finished,”

And that’s exactly where the heart of the controversy started! Did the Canadian really do enough in the third round to make all three judges give him a 10 on their scorecards? Did his late-round flurry outweigh Aldo nearly knocking him out earlier in the round? These are the two most polarizing questions sparking countless debates across the MMA world. With that being said, how did you score the fight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.