Jose Aldo feels that there were a number of things he could have done better in his UFC 212 title bout loss to Max Holloway
While not exactly lamenting the loss, Aldo believes that Holloway deserved to win in Rio de Janeiro last summer (via MMAFighting):
“I don’t think there was any cowardice. Every time I’m in there that’s the best Aldo possible. [Max] Holloway was a great fighter that night and was able to win. He deserved it. There’s no excuse. ‘Dede’ [Pederneiras] talked about [my leg injury] because it happened in training, but if I’m in there, that’s the best Aldo available. There’s no excuse. He won because he deserved to win. I’m in perfect condition. There are always small injuries, but nothing that takes any weapon away. I’m kicking, punching, Idoingong everything now. There are no serious injuries. You can expect the best kickboxing, the best muay thai.”
Aldo has promised that he will abandon a cerebral and defensive-minded approach for a gameplan heavily based on pressure and attack:
“I will walk forward the entire time. I want to kick a lot in this fight. I want to put my hands as well, everything I learned recently, I want to go in there and do it. I’ll smother [Max Holloway] from beginning to the end, and he will have to worry about his defense. I always saw the attack as the best defense, so I was holding myself back, thinking ‘he has this strong point,’ and that harmed me. Not anymore. I want to go in there and be myself, be who I always were. That’s what I want. If you fight all the time you can lose one day, so [the loss at UFC 212] is not stuck in my throat. The belt is no longer with me, so that makes me more motivated to train and get it back. Holloway is just another one that I will win.”
