Jose Aldo
Should fight: [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag]
Why they should fight: For moments in his fight with Petr Yan it appeared Aldo had a real shot at getting the win and becoming the eighth fighter in UFC history to win belts in two divisions. It was all for naught, though, as he faded late and succumbed to a fifth-round TKO in the bantamweight title bout.
One of the narratives coming into the fight was that this would be Aldo’s last title opportunity. The former featherweight champ got the shot without any official career wins at 135 pounds and on a two-fight skid. He proved he belonged there on fight night, but he still didn’t get the win.
Aldo said post-fight that he intends on coming back stronger, and if he’s determined to work his way up, there’s still many compelling fights out there for him. The clear one to make at this time, however, is against fellow former UFC/WEC champ Cruz (22-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC). The pair have been in the same organization one way or another for more than a decade, but spent most of that time in different weight classes. They share the same one now, and are both coming off losses to the belt. They both want to recapture their former glory, and pitting them against each other would be a surefire way to send one man in the right direction.
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