Jump to
Jose Aldo continues to do well in his foray in boxing.
The longtime UFC and WEC featherweight champion may have retired from mixed martial arts competition in 2022, but he is still following his lifelong dream to excel in pro boxing as well.
The MMA legend has been very active since crossing over, as this fight to start July was Aldo’s third boxing fight in 2023 already.
After a majority draw against the much bigger fellow UFC vet in Jeremy Stephens last April, Aldo returned to Shooto Boxing for another headlining match. This time he faced another inexperienced foe in Esteban Gabriel Espindola.
Jose Aldo wins third boxing fight
Aldo battered Espindola throughout the six rounds.
Aldo has turned many MMA opponents into panic wrestlers, but apparently he’s able to do that even under boxing rules. In the final round, Aldo hit him with the nth clean shot of the night, and the uppercut made the boxer dive in and desperately move to clinch. Aldo of course, didn’t end up on the mat.
Espindola showed toughness and grit, but he was just overmatched in there. The former UFC champion pitched a shut out, winning a unanimous decision with the scores of 60-54 on all three judges.
Aldo improves his record to 2-0-1 in boxing, with all three bouts ending in a decision. Espindola, on the other hand, drops to 0-2-1.
Watch highlights of Jose Aldo’s boxing match
Check out that familiar and iconic walkout for the MMA legend, along with highlights from the fight below:
Will Jose Aldo get a step up in competition soon?
Despite first winning the featherweight title 14 years ago, Jose Aldo is still just 36-years-old.
He is trying to make up for lost time though, by being very active and getting that much needed ring time under straight up boxing rules. With him doing well against inexperienced foes, will he be getting a step up in competition soon?
Most boxers typically face similar or worse opponents in their first few fights, so this isn’t out of the ordinary. Aldo of course, it not like most boxers, having been a decorated champion in a different combat sport. He previously spoke about the struggle of finding that balance as he tries to get experience in a new sport.
“I wanted to build a career in boxing like everybody does, to start against easier opponents and earn experience until you get there. But given the name I have, it’s hard to take the same path everybody else does,” Aldo said.
“We’re trying to choose the right fight. Jeremy was way heavier than me now. I was at 157 pounds when I went to the arena on fight night, and he was over 177. There was a huge difference.”
Aldo has won comfortably against two of his inexperienced opponents, but he hasn’t really blown them out of the water and is yet to get a stoppage. His trademark defense still looks good at this level, but his offense — that’s obviously hampered now with far less weapons than he’s used to having — still needs some work.
That’s the kind of thing that will need some time and adjustments, especially in this first year as a full-time boxer. At 36, Aldo isn’t too far from his prime, but that’s pretty old for these lighter weight classes. He won’t have a lot of time to figure things out, which I assume is why he’s been so active to try and get his reps in.
It’ll be interesting to see how far he can get, and when they’ll actually try to match him up with contenders or recognizable names, but expect him to continue this slow progression in the near future.
About the author
