Jose Aldo Explains Why He’s Retiring This Year And Not Headlining UFC Fortaleza

Talking to the media recently, Jose Aldo explained why he plans to retire this year and why he’s not headlining UFC Fortaleza.

Aldo fights fellow Brazilian featherweight Renato Moicano in the co-main event at this weekend’s UFC Fortaleza.

On retiring this year, Aldo said through a translator that he had originally planned to retire when he was 30 years old.

“I’m not saying this to try and negotiate a new contract. I’m not trying to push anything. I mean exactly what I say. I had already planned to stop when I was 30 years old and begin something else. I’m at a point where I have to make a decision, and nothing is going to change my mind. Martial arts is always going to be a part of my life, but everything has a beginning, a middle and an end. And I see this coming to an end.

“There are other things I would like to do outside MMA.”

On the subject of not headlining UFC Fortaleza, Aldo was quick to state that he didn’t turn it down, as UFC President Dana White had said.

”I never turned anything down. The thing about three or five rounds, it was ‘Dede’ (Aldo’s coach Andre Pederneiras) who thought it wouldn’t be good. You can ask him. He made the fight three rounds, he thought it would be better. To me, it doesn’t matter. Five, 10 rounds, however many they want, I’ll do it against Moicano or anyone else. I have no problem with that. I train for that, that’s what I do every day. I want to get there and always do my best. I never said otherwise.”

”It’s tough to see me in the in the co-main event. Of course, respecting both of them, Raphael [Assuncao and Marlon Moraes] will be the main event, [but] it’s tough to see the name I have and not being the main event. I had that in my mind, but if I got to where I am today was thanks to ‘Dede’, and he knows really well what he’s doing.”

When asked if after he retires from MMA after his last three fights in 2019, will he fight boxing professionally, the former UFC featherweight champion said we will have to wait and see.

“One step at a time. We have this fight on Saturday, then two more this year. After that, we’ll sit down with [Pederneiras] and see what the options are.”

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