Former UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo now he can call himself a professional boxer, and undefeated.
On Friday, Aldo laced up his boxing gloves for the first time at Shooto Brazil Boxing, which took place at the Nova Uniao Upper Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and was streamed live on UFC Fight Pass. The six-round fight will last until the end, with only one referee to find a round in which to score against Aldo’s 33-year-old opponent Alberto Emmanuel Zambrano.
In the first round, Aldo patiently pursued Zambrano around the ring, looking for loopholes. Zambrano initially offered some jabs and combinations as he circled the outside, but Aldo’s retaliatory strikes were more accurate and stronger.
Keeping the pressure high in the second round, Aldo started throwing harder punches. Zambrano remained active on the outside, prompting Aldo to take cover from time to time, but Aldo’s forward movement and nimble defense continued to determine the course of the fight.
Aldo landed powerful combos in the third round. At one point, he rushed to find the finish after a hard right uppercut that shook Zambrano, but it didn’t happen.
In the fourth round, Zambrano landed some good shots as Aldo slowed down the attack. In the last seconds, Aldo landed a low blow, causing the referee to pause the fight for a moment. The fight resumed and the fighters returned to their corners after Zambrano’s best round.
As the action began to build up in the fifth round, the fight was suspended after an accidental clash of heads. The referee briefly spoke to both fighters in the center of the ring before resuming the fight. Aldo brought momentum back to his side by throwing cleaner punches before the bell.
In the sixth and final round, Aldo continued to advance as the crowd began chanting his name. Aldo did well, dodging some of Zambrano’s offers while ripping at the body and trying to land a knockout overhead. The fight went to the final bell and the fighters hugged before returning to their corner to wait for the scorecards.
Three judges unanimously scored the fight in favor of Aldo with scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 60-54. Zambrano remains unbeaten in his career as a professional boxer.
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As for what’s next, Aldo already has his next fight planned. On April 1, he will return to the boxing ring, fighting with fellow UFC veteran Jeremy Stevens. Gamebred Boxing 4 in Milwaukee.
soon to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame decided to move to boxing after retiring from MMA in September. He will be inducted during International Fight Week in July.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
