On paper, Alexander Volkanovski vs Jose Aldo was supposed to be an explosive match-up. The No. 1 featherweight contender taking on an undefeated rising star in the division, there was plenty of intrigue and hype heading into UFC 237 on Saturday night.
While Alexander Volkanovski lived up to his end of the bargain, Jose Aldo's performance left much to be desired. Volkanovski outworked Aldo for three rounds,
coming away with a unanimous decision victory. What was most shocking about the fight was just how lackadaisical Aldo appeared.
Aldo didn't attend the post-fight press conference following UFC 237, but did
release a statement via his Instagram on Monday. Aldo thanked his coaches and those who supported him, but also critized his own performance.
“But I've never fought so badly in my life,” Aldo wrote.
“No excuses because that’s not who I am, but I know what I can do and I know my talent, and I can’t do that. Not taking the merits away from my opponent, he did his fight, but I’m upset with myself, and I transfer (all the blame) to myself.”
Aldo's passive approach resulted in Aldo's first-ever decision loss in his MMA career. More importantly, itt will ultimately cost him his spot atop the featherweight division's rankings. Aldo has one fight left in his current contract with the UFC.