UFC on Fox 30: Jose Aldo back to winning ways with thunderous win over Jeremy Stephens
Brazilian former champion stops losing skid to claim first finish in five years
A thunderous body shot in the closing stages of the opening round was the start of the end for Stephens before the referee stepped in to call off matters as Aldo scored a first finish in five years.
After two straight losses to featherweight champion Max Holloway, Aldo was looking for a convincing showing to prove he still had what it takes to perform at UFC’s top table. And his “performance of the night” award showed the 31-year-old is far from done yet.
Having been violently stopped in three of his last four fights, Aldo was reported to be considering retirement, but the KO win over bookies’ favourite Stephens, who himself was on a three-fight winning streak, led the Manaus-native to declare he wants his belt back.
After a trepid start, the widely-regarded greatest featherweight of all time warmed to his task and landed a stinging body shot that took a second to register on Stephens. When it did, it was enough to end the fight with Aldo swarming and landing hammer shots on the supine Stephens.