HOUSTON – For a while there, Jose Aldo admits he had doubts about his ability. How could he not after a 14-month stretch of three fights without a win?
Alexander Volkanovski, Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan all got the best of the former longtime WEC and UFC featherweight champion, widely considered the best 145 pounder of all time. But Aldo finally turned the corner last time out, winning a unanimous decision against Marlon Vera in December at UFC Fight Night 183.
“Very important” is how Aldo, who’s 4-6 since 2015 after a 15-fight winning streak that lasted six years, described that victory Wednesday.
“Of course a few doubts happened (during the skid), because I was not used to losing, but I was confident,” Aldo told MMA Junkie during UFC 265 media day. “I know how good I am. I just needed to be careful, and I knew at a certain point victory would come again.”
Aldo hopes to make it two in a row when he meets Pedro Munhoz in the bantamweight co-main event Saturday at Toyota Center. Volkanovski was Aldo’s last fight at 145 pounds before he dropped down to 135, where he’s already fought for a title and lost to Yan in July 2020.
Aldo is hopeful he can work his way back to another title shot, which probably makes Munhoz a must-win – especially when you consider the danger presented at the top of the bantamweight division, stacked with some of the best talent in the UFC.
“I’m thinking about the ranking right now,” said Aldo, who enters No. 5 on the official UFC list, four spots ahead of Munhoz. “When I got to the division, I fought for the belt right away. Maybe it was too fast, but step by step I know where I am.”
He continued, “Yeah, it’s the best weight division for me. Dana (White) always told me I should be fighting 135. I thought at that time I would never be able to make it. But, yeah, it’s the best division for me.”
How does Aldo size up Munhoz?
“He’s a very, very tough guy,” Aldo said. “He has a lot of fights in this division. He’s aggressive like me. That’s good for me, because of my style so I can find a way to get the victory. …
“I’m expecting a really aggressive fight, because my style, his style. Everybody is gonna win.”
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Jose Aldo hopes bantamweight momentum continues at UFC 265: ‘It’s the best weight division for me’