Watch: When an emotional Jose Aldo was consoled by teammates following devastating loss to Conor McGregor
Many fans remember the ecstatic celebrations that took place inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas after Conor McGregor defeated Jose Aldo at UFC 194. McGregor shocked the world and propelled himself to instant greatness after putting Aldo to sleep in just 13 seconds of the very first round to become the featherweight champion.
What very few people remember is the agony that the Brazilian went through that night. Before the fight with McGregor happened, Aldo ruled the 145-pound division with an iron fist. He successfully defended the title on seven different occasions prior to fighting the Irishman.
The first punch McGregor threw at Aldo connected flush and that was all she wrote. All it took was 13 seconds for Aldo to lose the belt he'd worked his entire life for. Following the fight, 'Junior' was understandably emotional.
He sat down in the dressing room with a towel covering his head, likely breaking into tears as his teammates and friends rushed to console him.
Watch the heartbreaking moment in the video below:
Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo have put their rivalry in the past
In the lead-up to their fight at UFC 194, Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo shared an intense rivalry. The Irishman used his skills on the microphone to play mind games with Aldo, which seemed to work as the Brazilian got increasingly agitated around McGregor as the days went by in the build-up to the fight.
Despite what went down between the two men at the time, they seem to have buried the hatchet. Ahead of Aldo's bantamweight debut against Marlon Moraes back in 2019, pictures of his grueling weight cut had people wondering whether the Brazilian was fit enough to compete in the division.
When MMA journalist Ariel Helwani shared pictures of Aldo's physique ahead of the fight, claiming that he looked frail, McGregor stood up for his former opponent. He also mentioned that he respects Aldo and wishes him well in life.
On Twitter, the former two-division UFC champion wrote:
"I disagree here. He looks more than on top of it in my experienced opinion. Well trimmed in advance, and naturally a lighter man now. This can only be done over a long length of time and with complete dedication. Respect! I wish him well and am excited to see him in this division"
Conor McGregor also defended Aldo after Khabib Nurmagomedov claimed that the Brazilian was past his prime following his loss to Petr Yan in 2020.