Ronda Rousey can write the blueprint on how to not react after a crushing defeat. Former featherweight champion Jose Aldo on the other hand has addressed the magnitude of his loss and has chosen to use it to fuel his comeback.
“It still is too hard to digest,” Aldo told Combate a day after losing to McGregor. “We trained hard, did everything right, and the result wasn’t positive. It takes a while for us to digest, but it’s part (of the sport). It’s a sport and we have to accept.”
When trying to recall the events of the fight itself Aldo makes a fair point, it happened so quickly that it can hardly even qualify as a fight. There was only one leg kick thrown, by Conor surprisingly, and the first punch landed by McGregor was the knockout blow.
“So, there wasn’t even a fight, right? Only 13 seconds,” he said. “And I also remember when I came in, how I tried to punch. But, man, it’s hard to say know if it’s (his) success or (my) mistake. It’s a quick decision, and he was able to connect a good punch when I tried a combination.”
When Rousey was KO’d by Holm she refused to acknowledge Holly’s existence, she has yet to say her name in any interview, let alone acknowledge that Holm’s skill had something to do with the defeat.
Aldo did both in an interview the day after the fight. This is why he can bounce back in the featherweight division and why a future rematch with McGregor will be much different.
“It wasn’t this time, but we will come out victorious, for sure,” he added. “It’s a sport, we have to accept. Not only from wins you live your life. That makes us stronger. Way stronger. You can be sure that we will come back stronger, more champion than I was before.” – Aldo
Listen to my McGregor-Aldo Recap on The Corner Podcast:
