Former featherweight champion Jose Aldo had an unsuccessful attempt at the bantamweight gold against Petr Yan at UFC 251, the inaugural event of Fight Island.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The Brazilian veteran got knocked out in the last round of the contest, a stoppage that a huge faction of MMA fans branded as horrible. However, Aldo doesn’t share the same opinion.
After returning to his home nation in Brazil, Aldo praised the referee for letting the show go on unless he couldn’t defend himself anymore.
That said, Aldo has reportedly resumed his training and is looking forward to getting back into the thick of it soon enough.
Jose Aldo praises the referee for an “excellent job”
In recent memory, UFC referees have been at the receiving end of a considerable amount of flak from fans, as far as poor stoppages are concerned.
While the fighters’ safety has always been a priority, umpteen fans believe that Aldo was out way before the fight was signaled off.
Yet Aldo hailed referee Leon Roberts for retaining the fight. The Brazilian stated that a title fight should never be stopped midway, suggesting to continue the contests until the fighter is completely out cold.
“I went down and was trying to recover. Everyone who gets in there, or those who have been knocked down before, knows how the body reacts. You get slower, that’s a fact.
“Fighters who say it should have been stopped earlier are just kidding themselves. You get slower, you try to move, but it’s completely different,” Aldo told MMA fighting.
As per the former UFC champion, receiving two more punches won’t make a difference. However, losing a lifetime opportunity would.
Thus, Aldo billed the referee’s performance as a job well done and explained how he could have revived himself in the fight. The Brazilian also revealed that he advises his referees to run the fight unless he is unable to offer a reaction.
“To me, the referee did an excellent job. Getting punched once or twice more won’t make any difference in your life. You’re willing to do it. What if the referee doesn’t stop it there, I recover and land a good one that knocks him out?
“Every referee goes to our locker room before the fight to go over the rules, and I always tell them to not stop the fight, only if I have no reaction. As long as I’m fighting, let me in there. It’s part of the sport,” said Aldo.
What’s next for Aldo?
As per the UFC official rankings, Aldo is the number 6th ranked bantamweight, and the 15th ranked featherweight. However, it is safe to assume that the Brazilian would retain himself in the 135 lbs roster.
That said, Aldo has got plenty of options before him. Looking at his current standing, Aldo can possibly face Jimmy Rivera or Pedro Munhoz next.
However, he is still out of a potential opponent officially.
READ MORE- “I Wanted To Make History”-Jose Aldo Pens Emotional Message after Loss At UFC 251
