Conor McGregor paid a brief tribute to one of his greatest rivals, Jose Aldo, after he retired from MMA for a second time last night.
The Irishman had a legendary feud with Aldo en route to winning his first undisputed title in the UFC. They fought in 2015, with McGregor viciously knocking out his Brazilian rival to become the first man to beat him inside of the octagon at UFC 194.
Since then, their relationship has been up-and-down, although McGregor has generally been respectful of his rival’s impressive resumé. And after watching Aldo hang up his gloves at UFC 315 on Saturday night, he had just four words to say in an Instagram story.
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Conor McGregor praises Jose Aldo after UFC 315 retirement
On Saturday night at the Bell Center in Montreal, Jose Aldo was defeated by Aiemann Zahabi following a tumultuous week that included a major weight miss. The former featherweight champion looked to be pushing towards a finish in the third, but gassed out and ended up dropping a unanimous decision.
Following the fight, and the health issues that led to it becoming a featherweight contest, Aldo announced that he would be hanging up his gloves. It was his second time giving up the sport after a 2022 loss to Merab Dvalishvili saw him retire.
He was subsequently put into the UFC Hall of Fame, being honored in 2023 with an induction.
And even given his defeat on Saturday night, Conor McGregor is still impressed by Aldo’s current skillset. He shared a video that branded him the ‘featherweight GOAT’, with his own caption simply reading ‘Jose Aldo last night’ alongside an emoji of two eyes.
Conor McGregor has given Jose Aldo his flowers in the past
Since their incredibly heated feud came to an end in that legendary 13 second knockout, Conor McGregor has always been respectful of Jose Aldo. While they at times have been testy, in general the Irishman has acknowledged his Brazilian counterpart as the greatest featherweight in history.
After his last retirement and his subsequent induction into the Hall of Fame, McGregor tweeted that his spot was ‘earned’. The pair have even talked about potentially training together if the Brazilian ever comes to Ireland.