Jose Aldo, a celebrated figure in mixed martial arts, emotionally declared his second retirement from the sport after a contentious loss at UFC 315.
The Hall of Fame inductee faced Aiemann Zahabi in a featherweight contest arranged on short notice in Montreal during the early hours of Sunday.
The former long-standing featherweight champion, aged 38, showed flashes of his vintage self during the fight, unleashing the signature combinations that defined his earlier career.
It appeared the Brazilian veteran was on his way to victory after landing a powerful head kick that dropped Zahabi in the third round, followed by a running kick to the face.
However, after a failed takedown attempt, he ended up on his back and absorbed a punishing series of punches and elbows for the rest of the round, resulting in a cut on his forehead.
Surprisingly, the judges ruled the fight in favor of Zahabi, with all three scorecards unanimously reading 29-28 for the Canadian.
This contentious decision prompted an emotional Aldo to announce the conclusion of his fighting career once again.
“I don't think I have it in me anymore. It wasn't just about the cutting of the weight and everything else.
I just felt there were so many things that happened. It was very tough to go through all of this.
There was one point this week — this was a very tough week — that I felt that I didn't have it in me, I didn't want to cut it anymore.
My body said no, and I just don't think I have it anymore. I don't want to go into war all the time and go through this.
I just don't have it in my heart anymore. I think this is the last time you're going to see me. I just can't do this anymore.”
Aldo, a revered figure from Brazil, is widely considered by many to be the greatest featherweight competitor in the history of the UFC.
He dominated the WEC before the promotion was integrated into the UFC, where he subsequently became the first featherweight champion.
Aldo achieved an incredible streak of 18 consecutive victories over a remarkable ten-year period from 2005 to 2015.
His legendary winning run was ultimately halted by his prominent rival, the former two-division champion Conor McGregor, who secured a victory in their significant unification bout at UFC 194 with a swift 13-second knockout.
He managed to reclaim a version of the belt in 2016 by winning the interim title against Frankie Edgar but lost it to Max Holloway in June 2017.
His attempt to capture a second divisional title proved unsuccessful in July 2020 when he moved down to bantamweight, suffering a fifth-round TKO defeat to Petr Yan.
The popular fighter concluded his distinguished career with a record of four wins in his final seven fights.
Percy Harlow