We all went through a massive heartbreak when Jose Aldo announced his MMA retirement after losing his bout at UFC 315. Yes, he had previously opted for retirement and gone to try his luck at Shooto Brasil Boxing and Gamebred Boxing. But this time, there might not be any promotion where the former 2-time featherweight champion will fight next. The reason? That’s what we’ll find out in today’s episode of MMA News Roundup. 

After talking about ‘Scarface’ and his retirement, we’ll find out one thing that separates Gilbert Burns from other fighters. And finally, we’ll find out the real reason why former 205-pound champion Jiri Prochazka didn’t agree to fight Magomed Ankalaev. So without any further ado, let’s dive right into it!

Jose Aldo weighs in on his injuries before UFC 315

It is safe to say that Jose Aldo was dominated by Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315. And as a result, he announced his retirement in the post-fight interview. But there were a lot of other factors affecting this decision. There was his massive 7-pound weight miss before the scheduled bantamweight contest, which ultimately led the bout to be changed to a featherweight fight. 

But the biggest one was his declining health. Talking to UFC Brazil, the former UFC champion said, “This fight was hard. I had a muscle tear on the arm, I had something on the belly that I forgot the name, down there, kicking a lot. I had some problems. A virus infection, a bunch of things. The doctors [said], ‘Get him out of the fight,’ but I didn’t want to because in my head I knew this could be my last fight.”

But why did he choose to retire in Canada? After all, the Brazilian could have chosen to retire in his hometown, Rio de Janeiro, or even at IFW. Weighing in on this, he said, “I wanted to end here in Canada. I started here, and wanted to end here. I could end it in Brazil or some place else, but no. My story started here in Canada, this is where I first fought in the UFC against Mark Hominick. But it’s part [of life].”

And as we bid farewell to one of the greatest featherweights in the MMA world, let’s direct our attention to the welterweight division. Ahead of his fight against Michael Morales, Burns weighed in on his negotiations with the UFC. Let’s see what it was all about. 

Gilbert Burns reveals the secret to his negotiations with the UFC

Gilbert Burns has made it pretty clear that he does not mind fighting an opponent standing at a lower ranking than himself. He pointed out that he was the kind of fighter who’d take on anyone the MMA promotion threw at him. He said, “I’m here to fight. I’m here to not even to prove, but to show I know. But I gotta show these guys that I’m one of the best fighters in the world that’s willing to put everything in to becoming a champion. So yeah… Couple of things, I will never say no to a fight. And the fans like it. I put on a show. People like to use the term gatekeeper, but you have to pass through one of those guys to get to the top, so I like that. I don’t mind to be that guy, to be one of the tougher guys.” 

Needless to say, the former welterweight title challenger has a crazy MMA record. Although he wasn’t able to win all of his last 10 fights, he fought some of the most dangerous 170-pounders in the organization. The list includes Kamaru Usman, Khamzat Chimaev, and even Jack Della Maddalena. But how exactly does the Brazilian respond to a proposal from the UFC? Of course, he makes his decisions for himself. But he does seek the advice from his coaches as a sign of honor. 

Now, let’s take a look at the light heavyweight division. While ‘Durinho’ doesn’t refuse any fight, the light heavyweight division has witnessed a denial of a title fight. But why did Prochazka refuse to fight Ankalaev? Let’s find out!

Why did Jiri Prochazka deny a title shot at UFC 317?

It’s true that Jiri Prochazka wanted the light heavyweight championship pretty desperately. But when the time came, he refused to fight the current champion. And the reason? It was all because of his studies. Talking to Ariel Helwani, Tim Simpson, Prochazka’s manager, revealed that ‘BJP’ is currently engaged in his college examinations. The light heavyweight is indeed enrolled at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic. And he simply did not wish to put his education second to his UFC career. 

Simpson said, “He’s doing his exams. That’s legit,” Simpson said of Prochazka’s reason for not fighting at UFC 317. He’s deferred them so many times. “Like, man, ‘I can’t defer this exam…’ So, he wants to finish the exams. But also, he’s done a lot [of] short-notice stuff for them before,” Simpson referenced Prochazka fighting Pereira on two weeks’ notice at UFC 303 the year prior. And he’s like, ‘man…’ When he gets full proper [training] camps, he looks so much better because he’s so diligent with his body. So, I don’t think he’s gonna be a short-notice guy anytime soon.”

What are your thoughts on Jose Aldo’s performance at UFC 315? Do you think Burns can defeat Morales? What do you think of Prochazka’s focus on his studies? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.