Jose Aldo gives weight update ahead of bantamweight debut

At UFC 245, which will go down on December 14 in Las Vegas, former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will debut in the bantamweight division against a fellow Brazilian in Marlon Moraes.

Given that Aldo was always a pretty big featherweight — and that he’s struggled to make the featherweight limit of 145 pounds previously — many fans are worried he’ll struggle to make the 136-pound limit for his bantamweight fight with Moraes. Some fans flatly believe he’ll fail to hit that mark.

Aldo, however, assures that things are going well.

Speaking to MMA Fighting, he updated on his progress so far, and how he feels entering the “final stage” of his move down a weight class.

“The process is still going on, we’re entering the final stage now,” Aldo said. “The weight cut is going smooth. I thought it would be more complicated since I never went through a diet before, never did something like this. I usually just cut weight during fight week, but this time I had a diet. Man, as incredible as it sounds, I’m feeling great, fast, stronger, so it’s been fine. I have the support of great professionals by my side so everything will be alright.”

Aldo also updated on his weight at the time of the interview. Apparently, he was sitting at “69kg (152.1lbs) on the dot.”

If Jose Aldo successfully makes 136 pounds and defeats Moraes, he’ll be well positioned for a title shot opposite the division’s reigning champ Henry Cejudo. This is a potential matchup he’s trying not to think about yet.

“I’m thinking about Marlon now, I can’t bite off more than I can chew,” he said. “First of all, I’ll think about Marlon. We have to remain focused, go there and win, and then we think about Cejudo or whoever.”

With more than 15 pounds still to shed, and less than two weeks till fight night, do you think Jose Aldo will make it down to 136 pounds? Join the conversation in the comments section down below.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/4/2019.