José Aldo Retires for Good After UFC 315 Loss, Ending a Legendary MMA Journey

José Aldo, the legendary Brazilian mixed martial artist and former two-time UFC featherweight champion, has announced his retirement following a punishing loss to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315 in Montreal. The bout, held Saturday night, ended in a unanimous decision against Aldo and marked the end of a storied MMA career that included a record seven title defenses in the featherweight division.

Aldo’s Return to MMA Ends After Struggles, Leading to Second and Final Retirement

This marks Aldo’s second retirement from MMA. He initially stepped away from the sport in 2022 to pursue a boxing career and was subsequently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. However, he returned to the octagon in 2024, winning his comeback fight before losing his next two. His latest loss, compounded by physical and mental challenges, convinced him to walk away for good.

After the fight, Aldo candidly shared his physical and emotional struggles, citing a difficult training camp and a failed weight cut. Originally scheduled to fight at bantamweight, Aldo couldn’t make the 136-pound limit, prompting the UFC to shift the bout to featherweight. Despite showing flashes of energy early on, Aldo was visibly diminished by the end, suffering a brutal ground-and-pound barrage from Zahabi.

Aldo Acknowledges the End as a Legendary Career Reaches Its Final Chapter

In his post-fight remarks, Aldo expressed a deep sense of fatigue and a lack of desire to continue enduring the brutal demands of professional fighting. “I just don’t have it in my heart anymore,” he said. The loss seemed to confirm what Aldo had felt leading up to the fight: that his time in the sport had truly come to an end.

José Aldo leaves behind an enduring legacy as one of the most dominant featherweights in MMA history. He first became champion in the WEC in 2009 and carried that title into the UFC after the organizations merged.

Though he eventually lost the belt to Conor McGregor in 2015, he regained it briefly in 2016 and remained a formidable force until losing to Max Holloway in 2017. Aldo’s impact on the sport is undeniable, and his name will forever be associated with excellence and championship spirit in MMA.