Alexander Volkanovski has stated in a recent interview that he considers José Aldo to be the greatest featherweight of all time, praising Aldo’s long reign as champion and his respectful demeanor.
Alexander Volkanovski isn’t claiming the title of the greatest featherweight of all time. Nope, not him. He’s got someone else in mind.
The legendary José Aldo. That’s who Volkanovski thinks deserves the honor. He said as much in a recent interview with mainevent.
Aldo’s set to return to the ring against Jonathan Martinez. It’s happening this Saturday at UFC 301. Naturally, Volkanovski was asked about Aldo’s place in the featherweight hierarchy.
His response? “That’s for other people to decide, but for me, if you’re going to ask me, I’m going to say Aldo.” He’s got his reasons. Aldo was the champ for a long time. And that’s no easy feat.
“Obviously, people are going to look at the competition and all that, but to be champion for that long, things go wrong,” Volkanovski explained. Injuries happen. Things can go sideways. But Aldo stayed on top. That’s worth something.
Aldo’s reign is legendary. Fans and peers alike respect it. He claimed the World Extreme Cagefighting title in 2009. He defended it when it became the UFC title in 2011. Nine straight title defenses. That’s until he lost to Conor McGregor at UFC 194.
Fast forward to UFC 200 in July 2016. Aldo wins an interim belt by defeating Frankie Edgar. He then reclaimed undisputed status when McGregor vacated his share of the title. Aldo stayed at featherweight until May 2019. That’s when he was defeated by Volkanovski. That loss prompted Aldo to drop down to bantamweight.
Volkanovski remembers his fight with Aldo. “It was crazy,” he said. He had a game plan. He knew Aldo’s strengths. He tried to use them against him. Sounds weird, right? But Aldo’s good. Really good.
“He’s technically sound, he does everything right,” Volkanovski said. He had to use that against him. Aldo’s fast. Even now, at his age and after all these years in the game, he’s still quick.
Volkanovski remembers thinking, ‘Yep, this punch is landing.’ But Aldo would still dodge it. “What the hell?” Volkanovski would think. “It just shows you how crazy and explosive that bloke is.”
Aldo’s set to retire after this weekend. His fight against Martinez is the last one in his current UFC contract. He’s expected to return to boxing, no matter the result on Saturday.
If this is Aldo’s last UFC walkout, he leaves a legacy. One that inspired a generation of lighter-weight fighters. Including Volkanovski.
“Obviously, his technique, his skill is always going to be something that you’re going to appreciate,” Volkanovski said. But it’s not just that. Aldo’s a respectful champion. That’s how Volkanovski likes to be.
“He’s how a champion should be,” Volkanovski said. “And that was something that I really did appreciate and it made me want to be a great champion too.”