Tag: Jose Aldo

UFC 245 pre-event facts: Inside the fifth title triple header in UFC history

The best facts and figures about the UFC 245 main card, which features a Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington welterweight title main event.

The UFC’s final pay-per-view event of the year takes place Saturday with UFC 245, which goes down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and features arguably the most loaded lineup of the year.

For just the fifth time in company history, three championship fights are on the docket at a single event, meaning the landscape of the sport has the potential to alter significantly by the end of the weekend.

Check below for all the pre-fight facts behind the UFC 245 main card, which features [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) for the welterweight title in the main event; [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) for the featherweight strap in the co-main event; and an [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC) vs. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) women’s bantamweight title rematch in the featured bout.

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Main event

Usman enters the event on a 14-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman is one of four fighters in UFC history to start 10-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 10 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 10-fight UFC winning streak is the third longest active streak in the company behind Nurmagomedov (12) and Tony Ferguson (12).

Usman’s 10-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 10-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second longest in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (12).

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Usman has earned eight of his 10 UFC victories by decision.

Usman absorbs just 1.6 significant strikes per minute in UFC welterweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.

Usman outlanded Tyron Woodley by a margin of 336-60 (+275) in total strikes at UFC 235, the record for a UFC championship fight.

Usman landed 192 body strikes at UFC 235, the single-fight UFC record.

Usman has completed 42 takedowns in his 10 UFC appearances.

Usman has defend 100 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, which includes 17 total.

Usman’s 12 takedowns landed against Rafael dos Anjos at the TUF 28 Finale are tied for second most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Luigi Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82.

Covington is one of three interim UFC welterweight champions in company history. St-Pierre and Carlos Condit also accomplished the feat.

Covington’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied with Santiago Ponzinibbio for the third longest active streak in the division behind Usman (10) and Leon Edwards (eight).

Covington attempted 541 total strikes against Robbie Lawler at UFC on ESPN 5, the single-fight UFC record.

Covington attempted 515 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 5, the single-fight UFC record.

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Covington has landed 58 takedowns combined in his 11 UFC appearances.

Covington’s 58 takedowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are most among active fighters in the weight class.

Covington lands 5.69 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC welterweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.

Covington’s 12 takedowns landed at UFC on FOX 22 are tied for the second most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82.

Co-main event

Holloway owns or is on the verge of owning several key UFC records, which can be viewed in his complete career stat sheet.

Volanovski enters the event on a 17-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski’s five-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is the fourth longest active streak in the division Holloway (13), Zabit Magomedsharipov (six) and Arnold Allen (six).

Volkanovski has outlanded his seven UFC opponents by a 493-167 margin in total strikes. His strike differential of +3.36 per minute is the highest in UFC featherweight history.

Volkanovski lands 58.2 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Volkanovski has landed two or more takedowns against five of his six UFC opponents.

Featured bout

Nunes is one of four simultaneous two-division champions in UFC history. Daniel Cormier, Conor McGregor and Henry Cejudo also accomplished the feat.

Nunes is one of seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes. Cormier, McGregor, Cejudo, St-Pierre, B.J. Penn and Randy Couture also accomplished the feat.

Nunes’ four consecutive UFC title defenses are most among current champions.

Nunes’ six victories in women’s UFC title fights are tied with Ronda Rousey and Joanna Jedrzejczyk for most in company history.

Nunes has defeated six fighters who once held an undisputed UFC belt, tied with Jon Jones for the most of any active fighter in the organization.

Nunes competes in her 12th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Nunes’ 11 victories in UFC competition are tied with Jessica Andrade for most for any female in company history.

Nunes’ 10 victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Nunes’ nine-fight UFC winning streak in women’s competition is the longest in company history.

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Nunes’ eight-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Nunes has earned 16 of her 18 career victories by stoppage. That includes nine of her 11 UFC wins.

Nunes’ eight stoppage victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.

Nunes’ seven first-round finishes in UFC/Strikeforce women’s bantamweight competition are second most in combined divisional history behind Rousey (seven).

Nunes’ six knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Nunes’ three knockdowns landed in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Nunes’ 14-second knockout of Julia Budd at Strikeforce Challenger 13 is the fastest knockout in UFC/Strikeforce women’s history.

Nunes’ victory at the 2:36 mark of Round 5 at UFC 224 marked the second latest stoppage in a women’s UFC title fight – behind only Miesha Tate’s win at the 3:30 mark of Round 5 vs. Holly Holm at UFC 196.

Nunes’ four fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s bantamweight fights are second most in divisional history behind Rousey (seven).

De Randamie was the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight champion. She accomplished the feat at UFC 208 in February 2017.

De Randamie is one of six European-born champions in UFC history. McGregor, Jedrzejczyk, Andrei Arlovski, Michael Bisping and Bas Rutten also accomplished the feat.

De Randamie can become the eighth fighter in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes. She could join Nunes as the only females to accomplish the feat.

De Randamie competes for the second time in 2019, marking multi-fight appearances inside a calendar year for the first time since 2013.

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De Randamie is 2-0 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in September 2017.

De Randamie’s four-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is tied with Ketlen Vieira for the second longest active streak in the division behind Nunes (eight).

De Randamie’s three knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Nunes (six).

De Randamie’s 16-second knockout of Aspen Ladd at UFC on ESPN+ 16 is tied with Rousey’s finish at UFC 175 for the fastest knockout in women’s UFC history.

De Randamie defends 88 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Irene Aldana (93.5 percent).

Remaining main card

[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (22-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is a former WSOF (now PFL) bantamweight champion. He defended his title a record six times.

Moraes is 17-2 in his past 19 fights dating back to December 2011. The only defeats in that stretch came against Raphael Assuncao, a loss he avenged, and Cejudo.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) drops to the bantamweight division for the first time after spending his entire career at featherweight.

Aldo is 3-4 in his past seven fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Aldo is the only two-time UFC featherweight titleholder in history and one of eight overall in company history to have two reigns in a single weight class.

Aldo’s 18 UFC/WEC featherweight victories are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 15-fight UFC/WEC winning streak before losing to McGregor at UFC 194 is the second longest in the combined history of the two organizations behind Anderson Silva (16).

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Aldo’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 11 knockout victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are most in combined divisional history.

Aldo defends 91 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s nine fight-night bonuses for UFC/WEC featherweight bouts are second most in combined divisional history behind Cub Swanson (11).

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]’s (13-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is tied with Marlon Vera for the longest active streak in the division.

[autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC), 40, is the oldest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Faber is the only UFC Hall of Fame fighter to earn an octagon victory after being inducted. He accomplished the feat after coming out of retirement to win at UFC on ESPN+ 13.

Faber is the only fighter in UFC history to go 0-4 in title fights.

Faber competes in his 17th UFC bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Faber’s total fight time of 3:29:50 in UFC bantamweight competition is the most in divisional history.

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Faber’s 11 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Assuncao for second most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (12).

Faber’s 12 victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz for most in combined divisional history.

Faber’s seven stoppage victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (eight).

Faber’s 12 submission victories in UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE competition are tied for third most in the combined company history behind Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (13) and Charles Oliveira (13).

Faber’s six submission victories in UFC bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Faber’s 26 takedowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are the second most in divisional history behind Merab Dvalishvili (27).

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Jose Aldo: Bantamweight cut ‘very easy,’ will be first on scale for UFC 245 weigh-in

“The weight cut has been the easiest I’ve had in my life. … It reignited a new Jose Aldo. The old Jose Aldo is dead.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] has only positive comments about his first cut down to the bantamweight division and insists everything is going smoothly ahead of Friday’s UFC 245 official weigh-in.

After being a career-long featherweight and the longest reigning UFC champion in the division’s history, Aldo (28-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) decided to make a drastic change by moving down a weight class.

It was a surprising development, because the Brazilian has long said if he were to make any change, it would be going up to lightweight. He’s set to try out 135 pounds for a matchup with Marlon Moraes (22-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC), though, and although everyone is analyzing Aldo’s physique ahead of the event, he said there’s no concerns to be had.

“If you guys can see my face everything went amazing,” Aldo told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at UFC 245 media day on Thursday. “I’m really excited, I’m really anxious actually to fight and perform. As you guys can see I can make weight very easy. Tomorrow morning I’m going to be the first one on the scale.”

After having his legendary title reign stopped by Conor McGregor exactly four years ago today at UFC 194, Aldo has had ups and downs in his career. He’s climbed back to the mountaintop, but in recent years especially the results have been inconsistent.

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According to Aldo, the change in weight class forced him to explore corners of the sport he’s never encountered in his lengthy career. Through those means, he said he rediscovered his true love for the fight game.

“I believe in my team, I trust my team and we’ve got a nutritionist and we’ve been working diligently with a nutritionist,” Aldo said. “The weight cut has been the easiest I’ve had in my life. I’ve never felt that strong, that fast. It reignited a new Jose Aldo. The old Jose Aldo is dead. It’s a new person, give me new goal. I want to continue to make history and be a legend of the sport. We’ll be the champ at 135.”

Although he has yet to officially make the weight, Aldo said he feels as though he should’ve been fighting at bantamweight long ago. The process has allowed him to rediscover his youth, he said, and that not only means problems for his opponent Moraes on Saturday’s pay-per-view card at T-Mobile Arena, but for the entire division, too.

“It reignited my passion to be champion,” Aldo said. “The last time I felt this quick and this explosive I was in the WEC so many years ago. I feel very young, I feel reborn like a new Jose Aldo. It’s the best thing I could’ve done. I’m reignited and I have the passion to be here. Mark my words: I’ll be the next 135-pound champion of the world.”

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Marlon Moraes downplays concerns about Jose Aldo’s UFC 245 weight cut

The man Jose Aldo is fighting at UFC 245 seems to be the one least concerned about the former champ’s first cut to bantamweight.

LAS VEGAS – Although concern about [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s first cut down to bantamweight seems to be spreading across the MMA community like wildfire, one person who isn’t worried about it is the man who will be standing across from him at UFC 245.

[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (22-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) appears to have absolutely no worries about the former UFC featherweight champion Aldo (28-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) looking quite drawn out ahead of his first attempt to fight in the bantamweight division on Saturday.

Many around the fight game have weighed in on some recent photos of Aldo, so naturally Moraes was asked about it, as well.

“People always like to talk about anything,” Moraes told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “People always like to make a big case. Of course he’s having a tough cut. I’m having a tough cut. Everybody is having a tough cut. It’s not easy. We all cut weight. We all get drained and get lighter. That’s me; that’s him. It’s about the performances. It’s about who comes out Saturday night.

“I’m 100 percent sure I’m making weight, and I think I have a very good feeling – his team’s a great team – he’s going to make weight, too. If he wasn’t going to make weight, he wouldn’t come to Las Vegas all the way from Brazil. So everything is on point. You guys are going to have a great fight. Don’t worry about that.”

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Moraes’ fight at UFC 245, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, will mark his first since he unsuccessfully competed for UFC gold over the summer.

After putting together a fearsome streak, Moraes lost to Henry Cejudo in a fight for the vacant bantamweight belt at UFC 238 in June. He was doing very well before Cejudo turned the tide, and although the result was a difficult one to digest, he said he’s move past it.

“At some point you’ve got to face it,” Moraes said. “It’s your life, it’s who you are, and I watched it. I learned so much from that one, and hopefully you don’t make the same mistakes. But we fight MMA where so much things are mixed up. Sometimes you have to deal with a situation you’ve never seen before. No excuses. Just hats off for the athlete, my opponent and the performance he had.”

Moraes didn’t attempt to pursue an easy fight coming off the title loss, either. He volunteered to be Aldo’s introduction to bantamweight, and it’s a fight he’s keen to have.

“I like the challenge,” Moraes said. “Sometimes things people are scared of, I like it. I like to be challenged, and I like to fight, and it’s everything together, so why not?”

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Spinning Back Clique: UFC 245 preview, UFC DC reaction

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 6 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to what transpired at UFC on ESPN 7 and preview what’s to come this Saturday at UFC 245.

Show rundown:

  • [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] at UFC DC. He was getting mostly dominated and on his way to a guaranteed decision loss before a huge right hand knocked out Overeem (and shattered his lip) with four seconds remaining in the fifth round. Rozenstruik remains undefeated at 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the UFC. But after that performance, are we buying or selling him as a legit contender at heavyweight?
  • [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] delivered a pair of painful groin’ kicks to [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] at UFC DC, then went on to score a TKO victory – but not before referee Dan Miragliotta advised Struve to continue fighting. Since when should a referee be offering fighters advice during a fight?
  • [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] made history as the first woman to step inside the octagon back in 2013. More recently, she competed for a UFC title again earlier this year but lost to flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Carmouche, 4-2 in her last six fights, was released last Friday by the UFC – get this – while she was in Washington D.C. doing a promotional tour with troops for the promotion. What do we make of her unceremonious exit, and what’s next for her?
  • It’s UFC 245 fight week, which means we’re on the verge of finally seeing [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] clash with [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], who’s been promoting the heck out of this showdown, but has he gone too far?
  • Speaking of UFC 245, there are two other big title fights on the card: [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] 2. Which challenger is more likely to win? And which “old dog” on the main card is more likely to turn back the clock: [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] or [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 6 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

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Urijah Faber: Jose Aldo mentally tough enough for bantamweight, but cut is concerning

While Urijah Faber thinks Jose Aldo is mentally tough enough to make 135 pounds, he’s not sure if it will be good for him.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] recalls the first time he cut down to 135 pounds and can relate to [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s current situation.

Faber, who bounced around between bantamweight and featherweight early in his career, ultimately decided to stick with 135 and has been competing at that weight class for the past nine years.

And like most people, Faber also has concerns over Aldo’s cut and how drained he’s looked in photos ahead of his fight vs. Marlon Moraes on Saturday at UFC 245.

“Aldo, in my opinion, is one of the best fighters to ever grace the sport,” Faber told MMA Junkie. “Seeing him make this weight cut, I know that he’s mentally tough enough to do it. I don’t know if it’s going to be the best for his body. I remember the first time I did (135), I was over-cutting because I was nervous about how it was going to go, so I was getting too small too early. I think he might be doing the same thing. I don’t think it’s going to be good for him. Hopefully he’s able to perform to the Aldo that we all know, but only time will tell on that one.”

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Faber will share the same card as Aldo, when he takes on Petr Yan at UFC 245. Should Faber prevail, the former four-time UFC bantamweight title challenger will find himself back in 135-pound title contention and could cross paths with Aldo.

The two fought in 2010 for the WEC featherweight title, where Aldo was able to unleash an array of brutal leg kicks, en route to a unanimous decision win to retain his title.

While Faber is not too concerned about a rematch, he’d be happy to face Aldo if the stars aligned.

“I’m not trying to fight everyone in the division,” Faber said. “I’ve got a couple of key fights. I’ve got one right now that I’m focused on. If that’s a fight that the people want to see, absolutely. But one fight at a time and I’ll fight whoever.”

[opinary poll=”how-concerned-are-you-for-jose-aldos-hea” customer=”mmajunkie”]

UFC 245: Make predictions for Usman-Covington, Holloway-Volkanovski, Nunes-de Randamie title fights

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 245 event in Las Vegas, which features three title fights at the top of the card.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 245 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC 245 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

Max Holloway excited for Jose Aldo’s move down to bantamweight at UFC 245

Max Holloway shares his thoughts on former adversary Jose Aldo’s decision to move down to 135 pounds.

LOS ANGELES – Despite throwing down twice with [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag], [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] appears to have nothing but respect for the former champion.

During a media day event Thursday in Los Angeles, UFC featherweight champ Holloway was asked about former 145-pound titleholder Aldo’s decision to move down to bantamweight for his next bout.

Aldo fights Marlon Moraes at UFC 245 next week. Holloway defends his featherweight title on the same card against Alexander Volkanovski in the co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

And while Holloway admitted he was a little surprised at first, he thinks Aldo can make the weight if he’s disciplined.

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“I was like, ‘Thank God I don’t have to face him again,'” Holloway said. “That guy’s a beast. He’s strong. I was kind of blown away at first. I was like, ‘Oh, he’s going to make ’35, and it’s possible. It’s just changing your diet and this and that.’ So I wish nothing but the best for him. But we’ll see what happens.

“I’m excited. He’s fighting, in my eyes – it’s like fighting a clone. Him and Marlon are like the same, and they’re both Brazilians. I’m excited for that fight, so I can’t wait to watch that fight, too.”

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Conor McGregor defends Jose Aldo, excited for Brazilian’s bantamweight debut at UFC 245

Coming to Jose Aldo’s defense Friday was the unlikeliest of defenders: former rival and opponent Conor McGregor.

When images of former featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] surfaced Wednesday, many fans took to Twitter to question his decision to drop to bantamweight.

Coming to Aldo’s defense Friday was the unlikeliest of defenders: [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]. When ESPN reporter Ariel Helwani commented on Aldo’s appearance on Twitter, McGregor voiced support of his former rival’s decision to cut 10 more pounds.

According to McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC), the 33-year-old Brazilian looks “more on top of it” and physically better. Additionally, McGregor sent Aldo well wishes and voiced his excitement to see him compete in the new weight class.

“I disagree here,” McGregor said. “(Aldo) looks more than on top of it in my experienced opinion. Well trimmed in advance, and naturally a lighter man now. This can only be done over a long length of time and with complete dedication. Respect! I wish him well and am excited to see him in this division.”

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Aldo (28-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns to action at UFC 245 when he takes on former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes (22-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC). UFC 245 takes place Dec. 15 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card streams on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

One month after Aldo fights, McGregor is scheduled to fight for the first time since October 2018. He’ll take on Donald Cerrone in a five-round welterweight main event at UFC 246, which takes place Jan. 18 in Las Vegas.

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Bantamweight Jose Aldo isn’t looking so good before UFC 245

Pictures of former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo show him looking potentially drained ahead of his bantamweight debut.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] is looking a little gaunt ahead of UFC 245.

Former UFC featherweight king Aldo will move down to 135 pounds for the first time in his career when he takes on former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes next week.

Less than two weeks out, Aldo is looking pretty drained.

Despite never missing the featherweight mark, Aldo has struggled to make the 145-pound limit and even considered a move up to lightweight, which is why the move down came as a surprise to many, especially this late in his career.

Here’s hoping Aldo healthily makes the bantamweight limit without the cut hindering his performance.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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