Some fans have questioned Jose Aldo`s matchmaking since his return to the UFC over a year ago.
The legendary former featherweight champion won against Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301 but then lost a controversial decision to Mario Bautista at UFC 307.
Instead of facing dream opponents as he nears retirement, the 38-year-old has been matched with relatively newer fighters in the bantamweight division`s top 15.
This trend continues at UFC 315 where Aldo is set to face Aiemann Zahabi on May 10th. Zahabi earned his spot in the top 15 with a five-fight winning streak.
While the matchup has drawn criticism since it was announced, Zahabi suggests this type of matchmaking is typical for the UFC.
Aiemann Zahabi says his fight with Jose Aldo `makes UFC sense` despite fan criticism
Aiemann Zahabi recently shared his perspective on the fan criticism regarding Jose Aldo`s recent opponents.
The 37-year-old stated that while the fight wasn`t necessarily expected, he wasn`t surprised the UFC would match a legend in this way, as the promotion expects every fighter to earn their place regardless of past achievements.
Zahabi commented, “`UFC doesn’t care what you think they should do. They do what makes sense for them.` He added that the promotion is `very merit based` and because Aldo lost the decision to Bautista (even if arguable), they are matching him against someone “behind him, not someone ahead of him.”
Zahabi believes this strategy “kind of makes sense in terms of UFC’s strategy thinking for matchmaking.”
Despite the criticism, Zahabi himself isn`t complaining about the chance to fight a legend like Aldo in front of his home crowd in Montreal.
He feels he has earned this opportunity and reiterates that the UFC often requires fighters, regardless of their status, to prove themselves.
Zahabi explained the promotion`s likely view: “Him losing to me is a lot worse for him than me losing to him.” He interprets the matchup as the UFC telling Aldo, “Listen, we know you’re a star… but you lost one so now you gotta fight a guy that has won five.”
He notes that while he may not have as much fan recognition (“I don’t get a lot of love and whatever”), his five consecutive wins earned him this opportunity, and Aldo is being made to “fight for his spot.”
Ultimately, he concludes that the fight “makes UFC sense,” even if it disappoints some fans, and he hopes to gain new fans after the bout.
Aiemann Zahabi will have a UFC legend in his corner when he faces Jose Aldo at UFC 315
When Aiemann Zahabi steps into the Octagon to face Jose Aldo, he will have another UFC legend in his corner.
Georges St-Pierre, coached by Aiemann`s brother Firas Zahabi at Tristar Gym, created many iconic moments in the same Montreal venue hosting UFC 315.
Georges St-Pierre himself confirmed in an interview that he will be in Zahabi`s corner on May 10th.
Zahabi mentioned personally calling `Rush` (St-Pierre`s nickname) to inform him about the matchup, and St-Pierre offered important advice for what Zahabi considers the biggest fight of his career.
Rupert Hartwell