"I have him as the Featherweight GOAT"- UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski pays tribute to his former opponent and legend Jose Aldo Jr. after his retirement

Featherweight champion and No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter Alexander Volkanovski paid tribute to recently retired legend Jose Aldo.

The King of Rio calls it a career 👑

Congratulations @JoseAldoJunior on a legendary run 👏 https://t.co/VvRQwFV0PO

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alexander Volkanovski paid tribute to the featherweight "G.O.A.T." Jose Aldo, stating:

"I still have him as the featherweight G.O.A.T. just because what he's done for the sport. So many defenses and stuff like that. I'm coming for that status. I'll be honest, I'm coming for it, but yeah, he's got it. He's the main - he brought a lot of us into the sport. I still remember watching him before I even started and he was still competitive till now, still right at the top, crazy legacy."

'The Great' continued by adding:

"A lot of times I think of how many times people thought he was done and dusted. He would have a loss and then come back and kick a** again and still look just as fast as ever. The reason why everyone loves him so much is he's talented, very technical, skilled, but he's very respectful. A true martial artist is what he is, a true martial artist. Very good skillfully, technically, explosive, very respectful so a true martial artist and I think that's why a lot of people always give him so much respect."

As great as Alexander Volkanovski has been, he believes that he still hasn't caught Jose Aldo as the greatest featherweight of all time. He recently shared similar sentiments on Twitter when congratulating Aldo on his retirement.

Wish nothing but the best to the Featherweight Goat @josealdojunior 🙏

Watch Volkanovski's full tribute to Jose Aldo below:

Can Alexander Volkanovski catch Jose Aldo as the featherweight G.O.A.T.?

As shocking as it may be, Alexander Volkanovski is only three title defenses away from tying Jose Aldo's UFC featherweight record of seven. Volkanovski shared that he is looking to compete for the lightweight championship, so it remains to be seen if he will place his fifth title defense on hold.

Volkanovski currently doesn't have a fight scheduled, but there are a lot of options as he has only fought three fighters inside the featherweight top 10.

Volkanovski's praise for Aldo should come as no surprise. Prior to UFC 266, nearly two-and-a-half years after their fight, he was still giving the retired legend credit.

Volkanovski was wowed by Aldo’s speed in their fight ⚡️ #UFC266

Full Q&A on @ESPNPlus ▶️ ES.PN/UFC266QA https://t.co/Ph1dt5QFPT