Petr Yan Takes on Former P4P King Jose Aldo UFC 251
There are indeed few superlatives which haven’t at some point been used to describe the fighter that is Jose Aldo Junior. A dominant world champion at 135 lbs for over a decade. A guy who single-handedly cleaned out the bantamweight division. Leaving few possible opponents capable of challenging the Brazilian pound for pound king.
Petr Yan, a hard-hitting, technically gifted and gritty competitor seven fights deep into his UFC contract. And now facing the former division number one, with an opportunity to become an undisputed UFC champion.
In his last outing, the tough Russian took out another division legend in Urijah Faber. Systematically picking apart the California kid in the second and third rounds. Before knocking him out with a beautifully timed kick to the head. He looked poised, he looked solid, he looked like championship material.
Now in Jose Aldo Junior, he faces a man who is in the latter years of his blistering career. Having done it all is a fighter who went from being considered unbeatable, to a fighter who was now being consistently beat. Losing four of his last seven-fights, since his crushing loss the Conor McGregor, he has never quite looked the same.
That impenetrable armour, that air in invincibility. All of that was stripped away, like so many unbeaten dominant fighters before him who suffered a shock defeat. It’s a pattern we see repeated time and time again. As the feared champion at the top of the pile gets taken out, never to be their old self.
Facing Petr Yan To Regain The UFC 135 lb Title
And coming into this fight he now faces a tough and talented competitor in Petr Yan. With one eye on the man in front of him and another on the vacant title. A win over Aldo should catapult Yan into stardom, alongside a rare and elite group of MMA fighters.
For Jose Aldo Junior, a win against Yan would be a real turn up for the books. Coming into the fight on a two-fight losing streak. While all along getting closer and closer to that time when he finally calls it a day. With a loss, may this be the last time we see this MMA great inside the UFC octagon?
Part of me really wants the answer to be yes. As with so many of these warriors, they sometimes just don’t know when to say enough is enough. Continuing to fight on with and rack up those increasing numbers in the losses column. Somewhat muddying the waters on careers that placed them at the level of greatness in one of the toughest sports in the world.
Is Petr Yan the man to draw the final curtain on the career of the Brazilian phenom and stake his own claim to that same greatness? There is no doubting it’s a task he is more than ready to perform. But even for him, he may do so with somewhat of a heavy heart.
For an opponent who has given so much to the sport and no doubt went some way to inspiring fighters like Yan in their own careers. Will we see a definitive passing of the torch at UFC 251? Or the reigniting of that fading flame? Everything is to play for as this they finally face off for UFC gold on fight Island Abu Dabhi. To find out perhaps once and for all, where this story ends!
Images courtesy of youtube.com, ufc.com
