Jorge Masvidal crowns José Aldo the featherweight GOAT, puts him above Volkanovski and Holloway. Jorge Masvidal
has reignited one of MMA’s biggest debates.
Speaking on the Deep Waters podcast, Masvidal made it clear that he still places Aldo at the top of the 145-pound division’s all-time list. He pointed to Aldo’s dominance in both the WEC and UFC. Masvidal argues that Aldo’s accomplishments across both promotions create a résumé that no other featherweight has surpassed. He also praised Aldo’s ability to fight in every area, highlighting his striking, wrestling and jiu-jitsu.
“To me, it’s Jose,” Masvidal said on “Deep Waters.” “I don’t think nobody can surpass Jose. What Jose did at WEC and then what he did in the UFC, those early fights of him at 145, I don’t think nobody can surpass that. He was just too incredible.
“Too much of an athlete that understood fighting every single position, could wrestle defensively, offensively, his jiu-jitsu was amazing, his striking. I think the best defensive wrestler ever. …I think Jose is the best ever. I think in his prime, he beats Volk, and he beats Max.”
Aldo’s featherweight résumé certainly gives Masvidal plenty to work with.
Before the WEC merged with the UFC, Aldo established himself as one of MMA’s most dominant champions. He then became the UFC’s inaugural featherweight champion and successfully defended the belt seven times during his first reign.
Aldo’s title-defense run includes victories over Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, Chan Sung Jung and Ricardo Lamas, before he defeated Mendes again at UFC 179.
Masvidal doesn’t simply praise Aldo, he went a step further.
He believes Aldo in his prime would have beaten both Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, two fighters who sit firmly in the modern featherweight GOAT conversation.
Whether fans agree with Masvidal or not, Aldo’s legacy at 145 pounds is almost impossible to ignore. From his WEC dominance to his long UFC reign, the Brazilian built a résumé that still keeps his name at the center of the featherweight GOAT debate. Now, Masvidal has thrown another spark into the argument and fight fans will have plenty to say about it.
