Latest news with #UFC129
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UFC 315: Jose Aldo is still here, but for what purpose?
For anyone who has followed the game long enough, there's a tinge of sadness to seeing Jose Aldo on this weekend's UFC 315 card, and not just because he had a hard time whittling his form down to 135 pounds for his fight with Aiemann Zahabi. It's more because he's fighting Zahabi at all. Shouldn't the original Lord of the Flies be paired against a fellow twilight idol? Some name that checks a box for his legacy, which just keeps stretching off into weirder and weirder ways like so much taffy? Ordinary fighters can be found chasing greatness at the end of their careers. To look at Aldo's matchmaking, you might think he's the rare example of a great fighter seeking ordinariness down the stretch. Fighting his way back into the woodwork, as it were. Advertisement There was a time, back in April of 2011, when the UFC assembled the greatest cast of champions we'd ever likely see on a single stage. It was a media conference just before UFC 129 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, which itself would shatter the UFC's attendance record by bringing in more than 55,000 paid spectators a couple of days later. It was the most glorious example of men in blazers, if not the most terrifying. Here's the group of champions that appeared that day, all of them dressed to the nines sans ties: Dominick Cruz (bantamweight champ), Jose Aldo (featherweight), Frankie Edgar (lightweight), Georges St-Pierre (welterweight), Anderson Silva (middleweight), Jon Jones (light heavyweight), and Cain Velasquez (heavyweight). Perhaps the most talented group of UFC champions in history. (Al Bello/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) (Al Bello via Getty Images) I can remember debating media members on hand over which one among that omnipotent pantheon would lose first. It was a true head-scratcher. People puzzled over that because all of them seemed so far ahead of their respective classes. It was extremely hard to imagine any of them losing anytime soon. Pardon the pun, but Edgar was the answer, as he'd had an epic fight with Gray Maynard to kick off the year and there was a rematch looming. Aldo, who had a scar running down the side of his face and a perma-scowl acquired in childhood, was particularly untouchable. Advertisement If you want to understand where the fight game leads, cut forward 14 years and 186 pay-per-views to our present day, all the way to UFC 315, which is happening just a province over in Quebec on Saturday night. I'll warn you, this portion of the column might be a little depressing, but in putting Aldo's quiet swing bout against Zahabi in perspective, a depressing big picture makes the smaller one feel better. Of those aforementioned champions, not many are left. In fact, only two are (theoretically) still going — Aldo and Jones. Dominick Cruz fought just 10 times over the ensuing 14 years, and retired earlier this year after withdrawing from his fight with Rob Font with a shoulder injury. Injuries came to define his career as much as his ability to bewitch opponents with his movement. Edgar did defend his lightweight title in the trilogy with Maynard, but went 10-10 in the UFC after that great day. He was fed to Chris Gutierrez in his retirement fight at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden, in one of the most depressing swan songs on record. The picture of his face turning to putty only added to the cruel nature of the sendoff. Of the group mentioned, St-Pierre got out on his own terms. He won that weekend against Jake Shields to retain his title and defended it three more times before going up a weight class and taking Michael Bisping's middleweight strap. He vacated that a month later, and these days is happily studying UFOs and the elasticity of consciousness, all with a full head of hair. Advertisement Anderson Silva? He went just 4-7 (1 NC) after that gathering, losing his title dramatically to Chris Weidman and breaking his leg in the rematch. It was a slow fade, which ended with a TKO loss to Uriah Hall. Or did it? He tried some boxing, where he ended up on Jake Paul's casualty list. There's always a chance Andy shows back up at some point. Jon Jones? We're still waiting on "Bones." He's the fully disputed heavyweight champ. But he's remarkably the only one who could still appear on a stage of champions like that. And Cain Velasquez? Tragic, bubba, just tragic. He went 5-3 after that day, losing and regaining his title. He got brutally knocked out by Francis Ngannou at the end, and is now serving a five-year sentence in Santa Clara County in a well-publicized shooting incident. (#FreeCainVelasquez.) Which brings us back around to Aldo, who is coming off a split decision loss against Mario Bautista. Before then he won against Jonathan Martinez. At a time when most champions from his era are long retired and/or in the UFC's Hall of Fame, Aldo is still slipping into plastic suits trying to cut the last of the stubborn weight for fights against middle-of-the-pack bantamweights. Jose Aldo failed to make the bantamweight limit on Friday in Montreal. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) The million-dollar question is: Why? Advertisement What does a victory against Zahabi this weekend get him, especially now that it's switched to a featherweight fight? Aldo will turn 39 in four months, and he's fighting guys as if he's trying to build a contender's résumé. Perhaps he is trying to position himself for one last title run, but having gone 4-5 in his last nine, with eight of those coming at 135 pounds, that feels like a stretch. Recently, when discussing his decision to retire after his UFC 317 trilogy with Max Holloway and a 15-year run in the UFC, Dustin Poirier laid out the basics in a way that just about everyone can understand. He didn't want to have to work his way back to a title shot. Didn't want to have to win three in a row, and go through three different camps, and say "so long" to his family for six weeks at a time, just to get that shot. He didn't want to be a fight game Sisyphus anymore. Aldo was already a champion. He held the title for six years across the WEC and the UFC. He fought on that card in Toronto, put the Looney Tunes lump on Mark Hominick's head in front of 55,000 people. He is already a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, class of '23. He's considered the greatest featherweight of all time, even if people want to argue Alexander Volkanovski's credentials. And yet he continues to fight. In a way, that's what makes Aldo the marvel of yesterday's champions. The fact that his 'why' isn't known, perhaps even to himself. Should he have been Dominick Cruz's last fight? Would a fight with Henry Cejudo make sense? Those fights would've been fun. But you get the sense Aldo isn't humming along to anyone else's swan song — and as for his own, it's still being written.
Hamilton Spectator
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Jose Aldo still going, 14 years after epic UFC 129 battle with Canadian Mark Hominick
Fourteen years after defending his featherweight title against Canadian Mark (The Machine) Hominick before 55,724 fans at UFC 129 at Toronto's Rogers Centre, UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo is still going strong. Now 38 and campaigning as a bantamweight, Aldo (32-9-0) faces Canadian Aiemann Zahabi (12-2-0) on Saturday at UFC 315 in Montreal. And Hominick who retired in 2012, will be in the Bell Centre crowd as a guest of the UFC. Hominick, who came back from the brink to give Aldo an anxious final round in April 2011, calls it his 'career-defining moment.' 'In that fight I don't think it mattered really about winning or losing, just for what I showed in that cage,' he said years later. 'It really illustrated who I was as a fighter and as a person as well.' Aldo came out swinging, taking Hominick down twice and finishing the first round with a 25-4 edge in significant strikes, according to UFC Stats. The significant strike count was 91-49 in Aldo's favour after four rounds, leaving Hominick with a hematoma the size of a small avocado on his forehead from a nasty elbow. That prompted referee John McCarthy to halt the fight and have the ringside physician check Hominick before letting the fourth round continue. 'Mark, you can do this,' Shawn Tompkins, his late trainer, told Hominick in his corner before the final round. 'Championship round. You're a (expletive deleted) champion. All right? You're the best.' Hominick fought like it in a fifth round that saw him land his first takedown and outstrike a tiring Aldo 22-3 as the crowd went wild. A bloodied Hominick, despite losing a 50-43, 48-46, 49-46 decision, made Aldo look human for the first time in a long time. 'It was awesome. Loved it,'' tweeted UFC president Dana White. 'Another day at the office,' said Hominick, who called the fifth round 'the culmination of probably 20 years.' The fight remains a vivid memory for Aldo. 'I remember everything perfectly,' Aldo said through an interpreter. 'That was an amazing event, 55,000 people. It was my first fight in the UFC … It was pretty amazing to see how Canadians loved the UFC.' Hominick's daughter Reaya arrived two weeks later. He used some of his $129,000 fight of the night bonus to top up her education fund. He also pared down his mortgage and bought himself a quad ATV. Three losses later, he retired in December 2012 with a 20-12-0 record. 'I had my time … I knew that I gave my best, at my best, and it was time to focus on the next aspect of my life,' he said. Today the 42-year-old father of two runs Adrenaline MMA Fitness and Training Centre in London, Ont., with fellow former UFC fighter Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout, who will also be at Saturday's show. Aldo retired himself in September 2022 but returned to action 20 months later. He has fought 19 times since Hominick called it quits, compiling an 11-8-0 record The Toronto show marked Aldo's UFC debut after an 8-0-0 championship run in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion. Today he is 14-8-0 in the UFC, losing a split decision to American Mario Bautista last time out at UFC 307 in October. Aldo returned to Canada in 2018, stopping hard-nosed American Jeremy (Lil Heathen) Stephens in the first round of the co-main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Calgary. Aldo, a father of two who is ranked 11th among bantamweights, is still after a title. 'It's definitely not a financial thing or anything like that,' he said. 'Whenever I don't have that goal or that motivation any more, I won't be fighting. That's what keeps driving me — to become the champion.' In announcing Aldo's induction to the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023, White calls the Brazilian 'the greatest featherweight of all time.' Aldo entered the Hall with a string of records including most wins in UFC/WEC featherweight history (18), most title fight wins (11), most knockouts (11) and most finishes (11). Of Aldo's losses, five came at the hands of fighters who have held the title. The Brazilian is 11-4 in championship bouts. UFC 315 in Montreal will feature two championship bouts with Belal (Remember The Name) Muhammad and Valentina (Bullet) Shevchenko putting their titles on the line May 10 at the Bell Centre. Zahabi, ranked 15th among 135-pound contenders, has won five straight since a decision loss to American Vince (Vandetta) Morales in July 2019. The 37-year-old from Montreal is 6-2-0 since joining the UFC in 2017. Zahabi will have his older brother and renowned trainer Firas Zahabi and former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre in his corner. '(GSP) just told me not to over-respect him,' said the younger Zahabi. 'He said he did that mistake against (former welterweight champion) Matt Hughes the first time around. 'And a lot of guys, they do it when they fight legends, so make sure not to over-respect him, just another guy, nothing special, you know. Not to disrespect his career, I just mean he's a human being.' —— This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jose Aldo still going, 14 years after epic UFC 129 battle with Canadian Mark Hominick
Fourteen years after defending his featherweight title against Canadian Mark (The Machine) Hominick before 55,724 fans at UFC 129 at Toronto's Rogers Centre, UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo is still going strong. Now 38 and campaigning as a bantamweight, Aldo (32-9-0) faces Canadian Aiemann Zahabi (12-2-0) on Saturday at UFC 315 in Montreal. And Hominick who retired in 2012, will be in the Bell Centre crowd as a guest of the UFC. Hominick, who came back from the brink to give Aldo an anxious final round in April 2011, calls it his 'career-defining moment.' 'In that fight I don't think it mattered really about winning or losing, just for what I showed in that cage,' he said years later. 'It really illustrated who I was as a fighter and as a person as well.' Aldo came out swinging, taking Hominick down twice and finishing the first round with a 25-4 edge in significant strikes, according to UFC Stats. The significant strike count was 91-49 in Aldo's favour after four rounds, leaving Hominick with a hematoma the size of a small avocado on his forehead from a nasty elbow. That prompted referee John McCarthy to halt the fight and have the ringside physician check Hominick before letting the fourth round continue. 'Mark, you can do this,' Shawn Tompkins, his late trainer, told Hominick in his corner before the final round. 'Championship round. You're a (expletive deleted) champion. All right? You're the best.' Hominick fought like it in a fifth round that saw him land his first takedown and outstrike a tiring Aldo 22-3 as the crowd went wild. A bloodied Hominick, despite losing a 50-43, 48-46, 49-46 decision, made Aldo look human for the first time in a long time. 'It was awesome. Loved it,' tweeted UFC president Dana White. 'Another day at the office,' said Hominick, who called the fifth round 'the culmination of probably 20 years.' The fight remains a vivid memory for Aldo. 'I remember everything perfectly,' Aldo said through an interpreter. 'That was an amazing event, 55,000 people. It was my first fight in the UFC … It was pretty amazing to see how Canadians loved the UFC.' Hominick's daughter Reaya arrived two weeks later. He used some of his $129,000 fight of the night bonus to top up her education fund. He also pared down his mortgage and bought himself a quad ATV. Three losses later, he retired in December 2012 with a 20-12-0 record. 'I had my time … I knew that I gave my best, at my best, and it was time to focus on the next aspect of my life,' he said. Today the 42-year-old father of two runs Adrenaline MMA Fitness and Training Centre in London, Ont., with fellow former UFC fighter Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout, who will also be at Saturday's show. Aldo retired himself in September 2022 but returned to action 20 months later. He has fought 19 times since Hominick called it quits, compiling an 11-8-0 record The Toronto show marked Aldo's UFC debut after an 8-0-0 championship run in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion. Today he is 14-8-0 in the UFC, losing a split decision to American Mario Bautista last time out at UFC 307 in October. Aldo returned to Canada in 2018, stopping hard-nosed American Jeremy (Lil Heathen) Stephens in the first round of the co-main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Calgary. Aldo, a father of two who is ranked 11th among bantamweights, is still after a title. 'It's definitely not a financial thing or anything like that,' he said. 'Whenever I don't have that goal or that motivation any more, I won't be fighting. That's what keeps driving me — to become the champion.' In announcing Aldo's induction to the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023, White calls the Brazilian 'the greatest featherweight of all time.' Aldo entered the Hall with a string of records including most wins in UFC/WEC featherweight history (18), most title fight wins (11), most knockouts (11) and most finishes (11). Of Aldo's losses, five came at the hands of fighters who have held the title. The Brazilian is 11-4 in championship bouts. UFC 315 in Montreal will feature two championship bouts with Belal (Remember The Name) Muhammad and Valentina (Bullet) Shevchenko putting their titles on the line May 10 at the Bell Centre. Zahabi, ranked 15th among 135-pound contenders, has won five straight since a decision loss to American Vince (Vandetta) Morales in July 2019. The 37-year-old from Montreal is 6-2-0 since joining the UFC in 2017. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Zahabi will have his older brother and renowned trainer Firas Zahabi and former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre in his corner. '(GSP) just told me not to over-respect him,' said the younger Zahabi. 'He said he did that mistake against (former welterweight champion) Matt Hughes the first time around. 'And a lot of guys, they do it when they fight legends, so make sure not to over-respect him, just another guy, nothing special, you know. Not to disrespect his career, I just mean he's a human being.' —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2025
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Dana White: Nothing Will Change My Mind On UFC Stadium Fight Cards
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 19: Dana White attends WrestleMania 41 Saturday at Allegiant Stadium on ... More April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images) UFC CEO Dana White attended WrestleMania 41 earlier this month. White was part of a crowd of over 124,000 fans who witnessed the two-night WWE event at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The experience left the UFC boss unmoved regarding his opinion on UFC stadium events. "No, nothing will change my mind about a stadium show," White said during the UFC Kansas City post-fight press conference. "I mean, you guys were here tonight. Kansas City is an awesome city. The people here are great, I really like this town and the energy in that place was awesome all night. That's the energy you get – not that there wasn't any (energy at WrestleMania). What'd they have, 63,000 people there? You're going to get some energy like they did. I am not a fan of stadiums. I like arenas." White's stance echoed what he said in September 2024 when the subject of a fight card at Allegiant Stadium came up. "I don't want to take the experience away from people,' White said. 'We've done stadiums before. It's just it's not my favorite thing. I like arenas. Yeah, I really like arenas. 'I think that fans get a much — what I care about every Saturday, whether you stayed home and watched it on TV or you came to the venue and watched it — is that everybody walks away on a Saturday night going, 'God, I'm glad I came to the fights,' or 'This was worth coming to,'' White continued. 'Or, they don't walk out going, 'Well, that sucked. That wasn't a good experience.' That's what I focus on literally every week.' No, that's not what I look for,' White added. 'I look for incredible experiences, unique experiences, and things that have never been done before. That's what I'm into. I'm not like, 'Oh, I have to do Allegiant Stadium.' I don't have to do Allegiant Stadium. I want to give fans a great experience every time.' The UFC has held five stadium events in the promotion's history: UFC 129: Georges St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields at Rogers Centre in Toronto on April 30, 2011 UFC on FOX 14: Alexander Gustafsson Vs. Anthony Johnson at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on January 24, 2015 UFC 193: Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm at Etihad Stadium (now Marvel Stadium) in Melbourne, Australia on November 14, 2015 UFC 198: Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil on May 14, 2016 UFC 243: Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia on October 6, 2019 UFC Kansas City took place at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri on April 26. Ian Machado Garry beat Carlos Prates by decision in the welterweight main event. The next UFC fight card, UFC Des Moines takes place on Saturday, May 3 at Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The event has a bantamweight main event between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo.
