Fighters Only

Issue 146

October 2016

He was KO’d in 13 seconds the first time, but can José Aldo win a rematch with Conor McGregor?

Beating Frankie Edgar is no mean feat. But José Aldo made it look easy. He picked ‘The Answer’ apart at UFC 200. That earned him the interim featherweight belt and set him up for an enormous rematch later this year against the champion – the man that took his belt and his biggest rival – Conor McGregor.

‘The Notorious’ wiped Aldo out within seconds in their first meeting, but will their second fight be as cut and dry? Here are five reasons why Aldo has a great chance to win the rematch.

1. Been there before

It’s not like the record-breaking 145lb champion had any glaring weakness exposed when McGregor beat him in December. He lost his cool and got caught on the button. We’re still talking about the greatest featherweight of all time here. No one has won more title fights in this division or looked so effortless doing amazing things to great fighters.

2. Better than ever

Aldo has delivered more spectacular performances – like his eight-second double flying-knee KO of Cub Swanson – but his defeat of Edgar was arguably his best ever performance and showed he’s not lost a step. He made a pound-for-pound-ranked fighter miss 71% of his strikes and returned fire with some precision punches to cruise to a wide decision victory.

3. Still got it

The Nova União gym’s greatest ever product is far from a faded force. In fact, he should be entering his peak athletic years. It’s easy to forget how young he actually is because he’s spent so long in the spotlight at the top of the sport, but Aldo is only 29. Anderson Silva didn’t win the UFC middleweight title until he was 31, so his best may very well be yet to come also.

4. Can be beat

In his last fight with Nate Diaz, McGregor lost the aura of untouchability he’d carried throughout the first seven fights of his UFC career. If he’s hit on the chin, he can be hurt – badly. And if he’s put in a bad position by an elite jiu-jitsu artist, he’s vulnerable to strikes and submissions. Aldo’s Muay Thai is accurate and powerful enough to cause trouble if he can overcome a reach disadvantage, and although we rarely get to see it, his BJJ top game is one of the best around.

5. Lesson learned

Well, he won’t get knocked out in 13 seconds again. If the Brazilian took one thing away from UFC 194, it’s that it’s a bad idea to charge at the Irishman with your chin up.