Former WEC and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo issues a statement on Frankie Edgar’s KO loss to Brian Ortega…
Watching Frankie Edgar get completely decimated by Brian Ortega was tough. Even if you aren’t a fan of his, you have to appreciate the gritty determination of the always motivated former lightweight champion.
There was no need for ‘The Answer’ to accept the fight with ‘T-City’ after Max Holloway pulled out. He could have waited out after ‘Blessed’ was withdrawn from UFC 222 and would have still got the title shot.
Instead, Edgar opted to take the high-risk fight with Ortega. Edgar, as they say, went out on his shield, true to himself and his warrior spirit. Now, Ortega will move on to get the title fight with Holloway.
Was this a mistake on Edgar’s part? There’s a lot to be said about a guy like Edgar, sticking to his morals and taking on anyone, anytime.
Jose Aldo Says it Was a Mistake
Perhaps sometimes being ready for anyone is not such a good thing. That said, there’s no loss of respect and admiration for a guy like Edgar. The former champion is a role model, this time he just came out on the wrong end of the big upset.
According to his former opponent Jose Aldo, Edgar made a mistake in taking the Ortega fight:
“It’s a new generation that’s coming in. Age comes for everyone, and it’s normal to have this sort of rotation…”
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“To me, it wasn’t (surprising). I just thought it was a mistake on Edgar’s end to fight (Ortega), who’s a very tough guy. He would have fought for the title, risked that and lost. Now he’s all the way back there again.”
“I think that was his biggest mistake. But I wasn’t surprised with the loss. That’s part of it. When you go in there, anyone can come out victorious, whether it’s via knockout or points, and that’s part of fighting.”
Aldo himself has fallen victim to the new generation of fighters, suffering KO losses to Max Holloway twice, and to Conor McGregor in late 2015. Now that Ortega will face ‘Blessed,’ Aldo gave a simple analysis of that fight:
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“It’s a very even fight, I think” Aldo said. “Both have very similar reaches. In the striking department, too, I don’t see any of them as a specialist. The one specialty I see is Ortega’s guillotine, which is very strong.
“But Max won’t take him down. He’ll stand. So the fight will be decided on the feet.”
Aldo also revealed he is aiming for a fight against Jeremy Stephens at UFC 224:
“I asked to fight him, he asked to fight me, so it will be a great fight. I’m waiting for them to set it up.”
