MANILA, Philippines – Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) featherweight champion Jose Aldo was forced to withdraw from his title tilt against Chad Mendes in the main event of UFC 176 on August 2 (August 3 in PHI) due to an undisclosed ailment.
The news, initially reported by the weekly “UFC Tonight” newsmagazine show, confirmed Aldo’s surprise pullout.
The report did not release details of the Brazilian’s condition, or his replacement in the bout against Mendes. Aldo (24-1), was penciled to meet Mendes in the mixed martial arts (MMA) rematch scheduled to take place at the Staples Center.
The two first crossed paths in January 2012 at UFC 142, where the 27-year-old Aldo successfully defended his featherweight title via first-round knockout courtesy of a ferocious knee strike.
The 5’7” “Scarface” was last seen in action at UFC 169 last February, when he won a five-round verdict over Ricardo Lamas.
Mendes (16-1) earned another shot at the top prize of the 145-pound weight class when he racked five-straight victories since his disappointing loss to Aldo, thumping the likes of Cody McKenzie, Yaotzin Meza, Darren Elkins, Clay Guida, and most recently Nik Lentz.
Aldo’s injury may well lead to the rescheduling of the much-anticipated second encounter between Aldo and Mendes to later this year or early 2015, depending on the champion’s recovery. – Rappler.com
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.