Jose Aldo Says UFC Should Cut Movsar Evloev After His First Loss
UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo calls Movsar Evloev boring and says the promotion should release him the moment he loses.
Jose Aldo has never been one to hold back, and the UFC Hall of Famer is not starting now. Speaking to MMA Fighting ahead of UFC 333, Aldo said the promotion should cut Movsar Evloev the moment his unbeaten record ends.
"I'd wait for him to lose for the first time and then cut him," Aldo said of the number one ranked featherweight contender. He called Evloev "a guy who puts on boring fights" who "doesn't draw attention."
Evloev enters his title shot against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday with a perfect 10-0 UFC record. The problem, per Aldo, is that all ten wins have come by decision. Not a single stoppage.
"The UFC isn't just an organization that has to follow a ranking system," Aldo said. "Evloev is ranked No. 1 in the division, if I'm not mistaken, and if I were the president, I'd never put him in there."
Aldo argued the UFC is a business first and that fighters who sell tickets and deliver exciting performances hold more value than those who grind out decisions. He pointed out that aggressive fighters tend to stay valuable to the promotion even during losing stretches.
The timing is notable. Aldo's comments land the same week the UFC released undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat, who was 7-0 inside the octagon. The message from the promotion seems clear: winning alone is not always enough.
Evloev has not responded publicly. He will have a chance to answer the criticism on Saturday when he challenges Volkanovski for the featherweight title.
This is Jose Aldo being Jose Aldo, and I kind of love it. The man walked through fire in every era of the featherweight division, so when he says a guy is boring, that carries weight.
But let me push back a little. Evloev is 10-0 in the UFC. That is not easy to do at 145 pounds. The guy wins. He just does not finish. And in a division Aldo once ruled with highlight-reel violence, I understand why that bothers him.
The real question is what happens Saturday. If Evloev wrestles Volkanovski to a decision in Abu Dhabi, Aldo's point writes itself. But if Evloev goes out there and puts on a show, or better yet gets a finish, this whole conversation disappears. That is the beauty of fighting. You do not need a press conference to answer your critics. You just need five rounds and a cage.
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