Tag: Jose Aldo

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.”

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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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MMA rankings report: How will December’s big fights shake things up?

With a big month of fights on tap to close the year, Gorgeous George and John Morgan project how the rankings might shake out.

Things have been a little slow the past couple weeks in mixed martial arts, but the year will end with a bang, as December features a big slate of important fights.

There are several matchups which will have major implications on both their respective divisions and, in some cases, the pound-for-pound list. Matches such as:

  • [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] at welterweight
  • [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkanosvki[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] at featherweight
  • [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] and [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] at women’s bantamweight
  • [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] at men’s bantamweight

Those are just some of the matchups over the next several weeks which will have a major impact on the future. What might they mean for the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings? Let MMA Junkie’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan walk you through the changes in the video above.

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Aljamain Sterling: Why would ex-UFC champs Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar would move down in weight now?

Aljamain Sterling is intrigued by the decisions of two new additions to the UFC’s bantamweight division.

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] is intrigued by the decisions of two new additions to the UFC’s bantamweight division.

Speaking on the “UFC Unfiltered” podcast, top bantamweight contender Sterling (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC), who’s currently recovering from a wrist injury, said he’s not quite sure why former UFC champions and likely future UFC Hall of Famers [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] and [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] are making the move down to 135 pounds at this point in their careers.

Aldo is scheduled to take on Marlon Moraes at UFC 245 on Dec. 14, and Edgar meets Cory Sandhagen at UFC Raleigh on Jan. 25. Another recent addition to the division is Urijah Faber, who took out Ricky Simon in his comeback and will now take on Petr Yan at UFC 245.

Should any of the three emerge victorious, they could very well be next in line for a title shot against current champion Henry Cejudo. But Sterling hopes that won’t be the case.

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“Two belts in two different weight classes would be historic, but they’re old in fight years, they’re older in age, and they’re fighting guys who are almost a decade younger than them – so it’s going to be very interesting to see how they do,” Sterling said. “I’m not wishing them any type of ill will, but at the same time, I just wish they hug each other for 15 minutes and have boring fights.

“I don’t really understand or can make much sense out of it. I’m like, ‘You guys established yourselves as (1)45-ers – to come down at that age, that late in your career, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to me.’ It’s the last Hail Mary. It’s the last hurrah for another title shot and one more chance for them to become a champion again in another weight class.”

Sterling, who was scheduled to welcome Edgar to the bantamweight division before being forced out due to injury, is enjoying his best career run. He has won his past four fights, including victories over Jimmie Rivera and Pedro Munhoz. He thinks an established bantamweight like himself should be getting the next crack at the title.

“I hope all the guys coming down in weight class have an egg of a fight, and leave us real bantamweights who’ve been here, putting in the work, to get a shot,” Sterling said.

“I hope they have boring fights so our last fights stick out the most. All the old guys coming down – Faber, Edgar, Aldo – I hope they just get tired and just hug each other.”

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UFC Fight Pass 500 Moments video: Conor McGregor snatches Jose Aldo’s belt is No. 182

The UFC recently held its 500th live event, and the organization is marking the occasion with a list of 500 Unforgettable Moments.

UFC 244 marked the promotion’s 500th live event, and the organization is marking the occasion with “an internally curated list of 500 Unforgettable Moments from UFC history.”

Scheduled to be released in seven installments, UFC Fight Pass 500 Moments shines a spotlight on some of the most memorable highlights – and lowlights – from the UFC’s 26-year run, both in and out of the cage.

UFC Fight Pass officials have committed to sharing video of a few of those key moments with MMA Junkie, as well. This time, we bring you a wild moment from the [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] world tour, when McGregor boldly leaned across the podium to snatch Aldo’s featherweight title belt.

UFC.com’s Walker Van Wey sets the table:

Conor McGregor’s celebrity was almost at an all-time high in preparation for his featherweight title fight with Jose Aldo. The building was shaking with applause for McGregor and the building nearly collapsed when Conor declared himself the king of Dublin, reached over and snatched Aldo’s lightweight belt and held it over his head.

You can watch the footage in the video above. And check out a few more memorable moments below:

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.