Jose Aldo is indignant: MMA boxers criticized the referee’s bad decision at UFC 315

On the evening of May 10, 2025, at Bell Center, Montreal, Canada, the legendary MMA Jose Aldo entered the octagon cage in the match that is expected to be a turning point for him to regain his form. However, after three dramatic matches with Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315, the result of the referees made the MMA community exploded, with Aldo and many other boxers publicly expressing indignation at the decision to be “robbery” of his victory.

The match is full of emotion and shocking decision

Jose Aldo, former UFC feathers, confronted Aiemann Zahabi in a original match planned at Bantamweight’s weight class but switched to Featherweight due to Aldo that had difficulties in pressing. The match is a tense battle, with Aldo showing its typical attack style. In the first half, he overwhelmed Zahabi with fast and accurate punches, constantly putting pressure and throwing attacks on the opponent’s body. The second half witnessed Zahabi gradually regained the game, but the real turning point came in the third half.

In the last half, Aldo made the crowd explode when it launched a high kick on the head, causing Zahabi to fall to the floor. He continued to attack, almost ending the match. However, Zahabi, with incredible resilience, survived and responded with a series of strong shots, including sharp elbows when Aldo was exhausted and fell to the floor. When the bell ended, both boxers raised their hands to declare the victory, but the result from the three referees-both marked 29-28 for Zahabi-made Aldo and fans stunned.

After the match, Aldo, clearly disappointed, took off the gloves and declared retired right in the octagon cage, saying: “I have no heart to continue. My body has said no, and I can’t do this anymore.” He also revealed that he had faced many injuries and health problems before the match, including muscle tearing in his arm and virus infection, causing doctors to advise him to cancel the match.

The MMA community is indignant

The referee’s decision immediately caused a wave of criticism from fans and fans on social networks. Renato Moicano, a famous UFC boxer, unable to control the anger, posted on X: “Perhaps one of the worst decisions in MMA history is ALDO back to UFC after retiring! It’s unbelievable in the last two matches!” Moicano also called this “a robbery F*Cking” and expressed respect for the career of Aldo, but confirmed that he should have been declared the victory.

Other boxers also quickly spoke. Angela Hill wrote: “How can it be?!” While Casey O’Neill expressed disappointment: “It is impossible!” Max Holloway, a person who once confronted Aldo, sent his gratitude: “Jose Aldo is a legend. Love for one of the greatest people.” Brian Ortega and Derek Brunson also praised Aldo, emphasizing that he has contributed to shaping MMA for fighters in a lighter weight class for more than a decade.

Fans on X are equally fierce. A user wrote: “WTF has just happened? Aldo won all three rounds, almost knock-out opponent in the third half, yet he was robbed!” Another call the referees “stupid people” and ask UFC not to organize events in Canada anymore because of the “home advantage” clearly.

Controversial about how to grader

The debate about the match results not only from emotions. According to MMA Decisions, 16 out of 18 specialized journalists scoring the match gave Aldo with a score of 29-28, emphasizing that he controls the first half and deals a significant damage in Hiep Ba. However, the referee “Big” John McCarthy explained why Zahabi was given, arguing that he had done enough to gain advantage in the second half and take advantage of Aldo’s exhaustion in the end of the third half. McCarthy emphasized: “If the match lasts more, what will happen?” It is referring to that Zahabi may have prevailed if Aldo is no longer energetic.

However, many people believe that the referees were influenced by the crowd in Montreal, Zahabi’s hometown, and his impressive recovery at the end of the match. Former boxer Josh Thomson even accused the “biased” referees and said that Aldo was “forced”.

A sad ending for the legend

Jose Aldo, who is considered to be one of the greatest feathers of all time, leaves the octagon cage with a achievement of 32-10 and the position in UFC Hall of Fame. He held the UFC feather championship through seven times to defend the title and was the last champion of the WEC. The defeat against Zahabi marked the second time he failed, after the controversial defeat against Mario Bautista at UFC 307, where many people, including Conor McGregor and Dana White, also said that he was “robbed”.

In a post on social networks after the match, Aldo said: “This week, I face one of the biggest battles in my life, not to the opponent, but to myself. I tried to rebuild my dream of becoming a champion again, but my body said I didn’t need to do this anymore.” Thank you UFC