A clash of former champions may well be on the cards for the bantamweight division, as former featherweight champ Jose Aldo looks to TJ Dillashaw for his next fight. Aldo delivered a fantastic performance at UFC 265, winning a unanimous decision over Pedro Munhoz. Aldo hasn’t put together consecutive wins at 135 pounds yet, but it looks as if he’s here to stay.
At the post-fight press conference, Aldo called out former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. “It would be great for me to fight with Dillashaw.
Jose Aldo Takes Aim at TJ Dillashaw
Hopefully by December, I think it would be a great fight. That’s what we expect. That’s what I’m expecting right now.”
When Aldo first showed up at bantamweight, TJ Dillashaw was serving a suspension for PED use. Aldo struggled early on at 135 pounds, suffering back to back defeats in his first two bantamweight fights. However, the decision win over Munhoz marks a return to form for Jose Aldo, who once spent ten years undefeated.
Aldo thanks the Brazilian Navy for his improvement in the Octagon, stating that training alongside the military helped him prepare for the cage.
“After I lost a fight I felt I needed to incorporate more things into my repertoire and that’s how I got into Navy-sponsored boxing in Brazil. I feel that’s how it made better my punches and obviously everything upper, but I’m never gonna forget the kicks.”
Commentators observed that Aldo’s style this weekend leaned more heavily on his hands than previously. Aldo often deployed Muay Thai-style leg kicks in his prime, destroying his opponents’ mobility and power. In lieu of brutally demolishing fighters’ calves and thighs, he’s increased his hand speed, complementing the precision and timing that took Aldo to the top of the game.
Aldo used the jab to great effect against Munhoz, consistently keeping Munhoz at bay with both body and head shots. Aldo’s clearly developed his boxing for both defensive and offensive purposes, and may present a real problem to TJ Dillashaw.
Aldo told the press conference that he specifically has been working on his hand speed and upper-body striking, and that he only plans to improve.
“Yes, that is the message. I’ve been training this a lot and you can be sure my hand is going to get quicker and quicker as time moves forward.” We may well be on the cusp of a comeback for one of MMA’s true greats.
Do you think Jose Aldo is on the verge of a massive resurgence? Will disrupting TJ Dillashaw’s comeback cement his place at bantamweight? Let us know in the comments.
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