Since his return to the UFC just over a year ago, the matchmaking for Jose Aldo has been questioned by some fans.
The legendary former featherweight champion made his comeback with a victory over Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301, but then faced a controversial split decision loss to Mario Bautista at UFC 307 last September.
Instead of matching the 38-year-old Brazilian icon against fellow veterans for potential “dream” matchups before he potentially retires, he has been put up against relatively newer faces climbing the ranks in the bantamweight division.
This trend continues with his upcoming fight against Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315, scheduled for May 10th. The Canadian fighter secured this opportunity by entering the top 15 following an impressive five-fight win streak.
Since the fight was made official, there has been criticism from fans. However, Zahabi suggests that this style of matchmaking is standard practice for the UFC.
Aiemann Zahabi States His Fight with Jose Aldo `Makes UFC Sense` Despite Fan Objections
In a recent interview, Aiemann Zahabi shared his thoughts on the criticism from fans regarding how Jose Aldo has been matched since rejoining the Octagon last year.
The 37-year-old fighter commented that while he wasn`t necessarily expecting this particular fight, he wasn`t surprised that the UFC would place one of its most cherished legends in this position, especially considering the outcome of his most recent bout.
“I’ve been watching for a long time and UFC doesn’t care what you think they should do. They do what makes sense for them. They put every one on the chopping block and you have to fight for your spot no matter who you are.
“In that sense, it’s very merit based and given that he lost against Bautista… the fact is that he lost in the end, the judges gave it to Bautista so they’re making him fight behind.
“Somebody behind him not someone ahead of him which kind of makes sense in terms of UFC’s strategy thinking for matchmaking.”
Regardless of his views on how the UFC is managing Aldo`s career in its final stages, Zahabi expressed his excitement about fighting a legend, particularly in front of his home crowd in Montreal.
The Tristar athlete believes he has earned an opportunity like this and pointed out that it`s common for the promotion to require fighters to prove their standing continually, irrespective of their past achievements.
“Him losing to me is a lot worse for him than me losing to him so the UFC is basically telling him, ‘Listen we know you’re a star, we know you’re a big name, we pay you the big checks but you lost one so now you gotta fight a guy that has won five’.
“I don’t get a lot of love and whatever but I won five fights so they’re giving me the opportunity I deserve and they’re making him fight for his spot. In the end, it makes UFC sense and I’m sure it breaks a lot of fan’s hearts but hopefully I win over a lot of fans after this fight.”
Aiemann Zahabi to be Cornered by UFC Legend at UFC 315
When Aiemann Zahabi steps into the Octagon to face the future UFC Hall of Famer, he won`t be alone; another legend will be by his side.
Aiemann`s brother, Firas Zahabi, is the highly-regarded head coach of former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre. St-Pierre produced many unforgettable nights in UFC history within the same venue, the Bell Centre in Montreal, which is set to host UFC 315 on May 10th.
St-Pierre confirmed that he plans to attend the event and corner his Tristar teammate on the fight card, which is also scheduled to feature a welterweight title defense.
Zahabi shared that he personally contacted “Rush” to inform him about the matchup and received valuable advice for what he considers the most significant fight of his career.
