Jose Aldo hopes to see the Conor McGregor of old when the latter steps inside the cage after three years.
McGregor is set to make his highly anticipated return to the Octagon after a three-year absence, squaring off against Michael Chandler in a blockbuster clash at UFC 303. The duo’s most recent encounter took place during The Ultimate Fighter season 31, where they not only coached emerging talents but also guided seasoned veterans of the sport.
Despite their fight being delayed due to issues with USADA, McGregor is primed and ready to step back into the Octagon once again. His longtime adversary, Aldo, holds hope that the Irishman will showcase his peak performance come fight night.
“I have great expectations for that fight,” Aldo recently told MMA Junkie. “And as I always say, I always root for the guys who I fought and the guys who have beaten me because, you know, that just proves that I lost to the best and I lost to champions. So I hope that he can go in there and be the Conor of old, and be aggressive, and go in there to finish the fight, and not leave it to the judges. But you know, I expect great things from that fight.”
Aldo, who announced his retirement from MMA in 2022, is set to make a comeback to the cage at UFC 301, where will go head-to-head against Jonathan Martinez in an eagerly anticipated bantamweight showdown.
The King of Rio was most recently seen in the boxing ring, where he fought to a split-draw against MMA counterpart Jeremy Stephens, before scoring a win against Esteban Gabriel Espindola.
Can Jose Aldo reach the highest of highs in MMA again?
