“Robbery!” That’s been the overwhelming reaction ever since Jose Aldo dropped his second straight loss, this time to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315. The Brazilian legend possibly walking away from the sport again only added fuel to the fire, leaving fans even more upset. And with the debate over who really deserved the win at the Bell Center Arena still going strong, Michael Bisping, never shy with an opinion, has pushed back hard.
Aldo vs. Zahabi was hands down one of the most exciting fights on the Montreal card. That third round? Absolute chaos! ‘The King of Rio’ looked like his old self from a decade ago, throwing heat and pushing the pace. But the Canadian flipped the script with a final flurry of ground-and-pound. All three judges saw it 29–28 in his favor, and that closing sequence sparked a wave of debate. According to Michael Bisping, it was Zahabi’s strong finish that became the deciding factor.
‘The Count’ on his YouTube video said, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And it finished with Aiemann Zahabi, having his hands raised and beating the legend, okay! And, it wasn’t without a bit of drama. In the second round, it was nothing flash from Aiemann Zahabi, but he was picking away, chipping away, going forward, pressuring Aldo, landing little shots, just putting him on the back foot. A close round, not the most mind-blowing round, but an effective round that he won.”
Zahabi looked sharp, controlling distance with clean strikes, but it was the wild third round that sparked debate. Aldo scored a knockdown, and many felt that it should’ve sealed the round. However, Zahabi’s relentless raining down of shots late in the round may have swayed the judges. Bisping also pointed out that the former featherweight champ didn’t show signs of recovery, and that became a key factor in the decision
He added, “And in round three, it looked like Jose Aldo finished the job, rocks him with a shot, kinda stumbles him back, as he’s getting back to his feet. He’s still on the floor. Jose also runs forward, kicks the face of him like scoring a goal in the World Cup. Knocks Aiemann Zahabi down, but he gets back up, and he immediately goes on the attack, and Jose Aldo was absolutely exhausted. There were three minutes left in the round, and he looked up at the clock, and he looked lost. He had some ground and pound and many elbows driven into his face, and he lost a decision.”
MMA: UFC 301 – Martinez vs Aldo May 4, 2024 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL Jose Aldo Junior red gloves fights Jonathan Martinez blue gloves during UFC 301 at Rio Arena. Rio de Janeiro Farmasi Arena RJ BRAZIL, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJasonxSilvax 20240505_gma_db3_0188
Bisping definitely makes a point here! And who knows? A little more urgency from Aldo to get up from that position might have changed things for him. Now, there’s no way to find that out, as the ‘King of Rio’ has retired from the sport after being active for so long. Something Robert Whittaker believes is nothing short of insane.
Robert Whittaker reacts to Jose Aldo retiring from MMA
Jose Aldo is as OG as it gets. He began his professional mixed martial arts journey back in 2004, and now, in 2025, he’s finally bid farewell to the sport. Along the way, he made his mark in the WEC, becoming champion after defeating Mike Brown at WEC 44. He then carried that momentum into the UFC, where he remained undefeated for nearly a decade, until Conor McGregor finally ended his reign at UFC 194 in 2015. So, his retirement felt inevitable, which Robert Whittaker believes was bound to happen, given the toll Aldo’s body has taken over the years.
Speaking on the MMArcade Podcast, He said, “It is crazy to think he’s still fighting. You know how young he still is?… But Aldo has been fighting forever. And it’s not just that he’s been fighting forever, he’s been fighting hard fights. He has fought everybody—he’s fought the who’s who! He’s changed weight divisions multiple times. At some point, you just get sick of it. Not only do you get sick of the camps—because the camps are hard, you get sick of getting hit, sick of going to war!”
What Whittaker implied here perfectly aligns with what Jose Aldo said in his post-fight interview: “I don’t think I have it in me anymore.” It was a clear sign that he’s been there, done that, and he’s ready to step away from the grind. The brutal weight cuts, the endless training camps, and the wars inside the cage have taken their toll. At least for now, until he decides to make another comeback like he did in 2022.
Retirement in MMA rarely means forever. Aldo retired once before in 2022, only to return hungrier. This time feels different, but questions linger. Will he dip into boxing again? Could bare-knuckle be on his radar? Aldo’s name still sells. If Jake Paul can lure legends into crossover scraps, Aldo might have options. Do you think we’ve seen the last of Jose Aldo in combat sports? Drop your thoughts below.
The post “He Looked Absolutely Lost” – Michael Bisping Defies of Jose Aldo Being ‘Robbed’ Before Shock UFC 315 Retirement appeared first on EssentiallySports.