Former two-time featherweight champion Jose Aldo entered his UFC 315 fight against Aiemann Zahabi hoping to make another run at a UFC championship. Following the fight, Aldo seemingly retired.
The first signs that fight week wasn’t going well for the Brazilian came on the day of weigh-in when the match was moved from the bantamweight division to the 145-pound weight class after Aldo struggled to make weight.
Early in the fight, Aldo looked like himself. He delivered leg kicks and showed off his boxing abilities. He nearly stopped Zahabi but when he couldn’t was left exhausted and looking up at the clock. Zahabi defeated Aldo via unanimous decision and “The King of Rio” removed his gloves and said he doesn’t think he has it in him anymore.
On Sunday, Aldo released a statement in a series of social media posts seemingly leaving the door cracked for another potential fight.
“This may have been my last time inside the Octagon,” Aldo wrote on X. “This week, I faced one of the biggest battles of my life, and it wasn’t against an opponent, but within myself. Over the past few years, I rekindled the dream of becoming a champion once again. I trained as I always did, gave more than I ever had. But while cutting weight, something inside me said: “You don’t need to do this anymore.” And I listened.
“It’s time to move forward. To live for my wife, for my kids. To celebrate the story I wrote with every war, every belt earned through blood and faith,” he continued. “Thank you, Dana White and @lorenzofertita. Thank you to the UFC. And most of all — thank you, my fans.
“You were the fuel behind every walk to the cage. You made me a king. If this was my farewell, know that I leave in peace. With a heart full of gratitude and my head held high. Because I made history. Because I lived my dream. Because, above all, I stayed true to myself.”
This may have been my last time inside the Octagon.
This week, I faced one of the biggest battles of my life, and it wasn’t against an opponent, but within myself.
Over the past few years, I rekindled the dream of becoming a champion once again. I trained as I always did, gave… pic.twitter.com/Cv9FVWsLt7
— Jose Aldo Junior (@josealdojunior) May 11, 2025
more than I ever had. But while cutting weight, something inside me said: “You don’t need to do this anymore.”
And I listened.
It’s time to move forward.
To live for my wife, for my kids. To celebrate the story I wrote with every war, every belt earned through blood and faith. pic.twitter.com/Vu30NHmo2k
— Jose Aldo Junior (@josealdojunior) May 11, 2025
Thank you, Dana White and @lorenzofertita. Thank you to the UFC.
And most of all — thank you, my fans.
You were the fuel behind every walk to the cage. You made me a king.
If this was my farewell, know that I leave in peace.
With a heart full of gratitude and my head held high. pic.twitter.com/CoJwrQNszy
— Jose Aldo Junior (@josealdojunior) May 11, 2025
Because I made history. Because I lived my dream. Because, above all, I stayed true to myself.
José Aldo pic.twitter.com/ttCAeCNgiT
— Jose Aldo Junior (@josealdojunior) May 11, 2025
