Jose Aldo retiring after current UFC deal: It doesn’t cross my mind to sign a new contract

Prior to his loss to Conor McGregor in 2015, Jose Aldo was considered to be the greatest featherweight fighter in the game. But after three stoppage losses in the UFC with the two recent ones courtesy of current champion Max Holloway, the 31-year-old Nova Uniao fighter is already looking towards retirement.

Speaking to Brazilian media members during an online scrum on Wednesday, Aldo revealed that he will finally hang it up once he is done with the last three fights on his contract.

“No, I don’t think so. It doesn’t cross my mind to sign a new contract after,” Aldo said (via MMA Fighting).

Aldo admits that it is a lot less difficult for him to think and discuss retirement nowadays, especially with the idea of his career coming to an end becoming more of a reality than ever.

“I think it’s easier because you know it’s coming near the end, so you have to give your all because you don’t want to go out on a loss, you want to go out on top. It’s a lot easier seeing the end of the tunnel and working harder because you know it’s coming to the end,” Aldo said. “When you’re starting there’s that euphoria, but I remain the same. I dream of being champion and dream going out as champion. That’s my biggest motivation.”

“I take much pride in winning, I don’t accept losses, so I’m always going after that. The day I lose this fire, I think it’s time for us to stop.”

As the first and longest-reigning UFC featherweight champion so far, Aldo believes he was able to leave a good enough legacy for the fighters at the lighter weight classes.

“I think I leave a good legacy for new athletes who are coming up,” Aldo said. “There are new people at featherweight, bantamweight, lightweight, any other weight class that is inspired by the legacy I’m leaving.”

Aldo is currently slated to fight Jeremy Stephens on Saturday, as they co-headline the UFC’s FOX card in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It will be his first non-title fight since 2009.