Jose Aldo confident he'll get title shot with win at UFC 278

Jose Aldo feels, after the bout against the rising contender Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278, will make him undeniable. He intends to go on one last ride for the UFC gold before he signs off his MMA career. The fight will take place under the main card of Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 2 on Saturday.

The Brazilian was perhaps the most intimidating fighter in UFC during his pomp, winning the featherweight championship and defending it several times before losing to Conor McGregor in 2015. Things went south for Aldo after his defeat to the Irishman as he lost five out of the eight fights that followed. However, his confidence is once again on top as he has managed to win his last three bouts against highly decorated fighters like Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz, and Rob Font.

Aldo thinks he should be next in line for the championship fight if he can continue his winning streak after the win over Dvalishvili. Note that Marlon Vera has also put a notice with his remarkable win against the former champion Dominick Cruz.

“I actually think that I (should’ve been) fighting for the title,” Aldo told reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC 278 media day. “I wanted to fight Aljo (Aljamain Sterling), but he’s going for Dillashaw.

“I believe if I win this fight, I am actually then the next one up to fight for the belt.”

Merab Dvalishvili is currently ranked #6 in the bantamweight division and is entering the octagon with an intention of moving to the number one contender. His debut in the UFC didn’t go according to his plan as he lost his first two fights. He changed his game and made a solid rebound from going 0-2 to 7-2 with wins that include names like Marlon Moraes, Cody Staman, and John Dodson. Aldo also praised Dvalishvili as he rates him a worthy opponent for becoming the title contender.

“He’s a strong opponent. With the high level of fighting, he’s doing now, I’m putting him on top of some of the toughest fights,” Aldo said. “I think I should fight for the title. I think if I win this fight, I have to fight for the title.”

“No one wanted to fight him, and I do his words very hard, but each of us is fighting for something and we have to fight for what matters,” Aldo said.

Right now, the UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is scheduled to face T.J. Dillashaw on October 22nd at UFC 280. There is much going on in the bantamweight division this year and it is still unpredictable who is going to stand first in line for the title fight. Aldo will be recognized as one of the all-time greats if he succeeds to put gold around his waist once again as he continues to add to that legacy beyond the point many anticipated his career would begin to unravel.