Aldo retires from UFC: 'Can't do this anymore'

José Aldo, a two-time UFC featherweight champion who made a grounds 7 rubric defenses, retired pursuing a brutal nonaccomplishment to Aiemann Zahabi astatine UFC 315 connected Saturday nighttime successful Montreal.

It was the 2nd status for the 38-year-old from Brazil, who walked distant successful 2022 to prosecute nonrecreational boxing and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame the pursuing year. By 2024, however, helium was backmost successful the cage, wherever helium won his archetypal combat but dropped his adjacent two.

"I don't deliberation I person it successful maine anymore," Aldo said done an interpreter aft dropping a unanimous decision. "This was a precise pugnacious week that I felt that I didn't person it successful me."

Aldo was referring to a hard value chopped successful which helium was incapable to get adjacent adjacent to the bantamweight bounds of 136 pounds. The UFC moved the combat to the 145-pound featherweight division.

Aldo appeared energized astatine the start, but by the extremity of the combat helium was connected his back, bloodied and taking a battering from Zahabi's elbows.

"I don't privation to spell into warfare each the clip and spell done each this," Aldo said. "I conscionable don't person it successful my bosom anymore. I deliberation this is the past clip you're going to spot me. I can't bash this anymore."

Aldo became featherweight champion successful the UFC's sister promotion, the WEC, successful 2009, and erstwhile that promotion and its roster were absorbed by the UFC the pursuing year, helium was named champion.

He remained champ until 2015, erstwhile Conor McGregor ended his 18-fight winning streak. Aldo won an interim rubric the pursuing year, and aft McGregor was stripped for not defending his belt, Aldo again was named champion. In 2017, helium mislaid the rubric to Max Holloway.