Head coach Andre Pederneiras pens a heartfelt open letter following Jose Aldo's loss to Conor Mcgregor.
The reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo lost the title he had kept since 2010 within 13 seconds into the first round. Now, Aldo's coach defends the Brazilian fighter against criticisms suffering his first career loss in a letter published by MMA Fight Night Live's Facebook. In it, Pederneiras touched on the athlete's dedication to the sport, his hardships during training and the determination that made him into a UFC champion.
BjPenn.com has published Pederneiras' letter following Jose Aldo's loss at UFC 194.
"Last Saturday, Jose Aldo lost his belt in a fight in which he couldn't show how well trained and prepared psychologically he was. There was no taunting that could enter his head, there was no technical failure, just an unusual blow. A blow like that, connecting in someone's chin while moving forward, isn't something that happens all the time," reads the letter. "But it has happened with us. If it was the opposite, with McGregor being punched in the chin and Aldo in the eyebrow, we would be calling Aldo a superchampion today, the best of all times, but this is how sports are. Better luck for McGregor, who won and, therefore, is the new champion."
"We need to understand that Jose Aldo is a human being subject to defeats, like any other," he continued. "Those who show up criticizing him should think: this guy came from Manaus to Rio with nothing, to live in a gym, sleep on the mat, and wake up late so he wouldn't starve since he had no money to have breakfast.
"He got where he were, always believing he would be a champion, and became one, due to hard work and dedication. The people's champion."
The Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor bout was originally set to take place at UFC 189 on July 11. Aldo pulled out of the fight due to a rib injury and the bout was instead headlined by an interim title bout between McGregor and Chad Mendes.
