Urijah Faber has expressed his concern for Jose Aldo regarding his extreme weight loss following recent images of the UFC legend looking gaunt.
Jose Aldo is set to face Marlon Moraes at UFC 245 on Saturday 14 December, a bantamweight fight that has required him to undergo an extreme weight-loss regime in order to make weight.
However, photos have recently emerged that show the Brazilian looking gaunt and malnourished, sparking concerns that the extreme weight-loss is not doing any good for his health.
Too Much Too Soon
Faber, who himself made the cut to 135lbs earlier in his career, is the latest to voice his concern. The 40-year-old had problems himself when making the drop and believes Aldo is losing too much weight too soon.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, he said: “Aldo, in my opinion, is one of the best fighters to ever grace the sport,”
“Seeing him make this weight cut, I know that he’s mentally tough enough to do it.”
“I don’t know if it’s going to be the best for his body.”
“I remember the first time I did, I was over-cutting because I was nervous about how it was going to go, so I was getting too small too early.”
“I think he might be doing the same thing. I don’t think it’s going to be good for him.”
“Hopefully he’s able to perform to the Aldo that we all know, but only time will tell on that one.”
Old Rivals
Faber will be on the same fight card as Aldo as he takes on Petr Yan at UFC 245 and will be looking for a victory that would propel him back into contention for a title challenge.
The four-time bantamweight title challenger has crossed paths with Aldo before, losing to the Brazilian by unanimous decision in a WEC featherweight title fight back in 2010.
When asked whether the two might meet in the Octagon again, Faber remained impartial to the idea. He expressed it’s not something he’s chasing but should the opportunity arise he’d happily face Aldo for a second time.
He said: “I’m not trying to fight everyone in the division,”
“I’ve got a couple of key fights. I’ve got one right now that I’m focused on.”
“If that’s a fight that the people want to see, absolutely.”
“But one fight at a time and I’ll fight whoever.”
Fight Week
With less than a week to go until UFC 245 takes place in Las Vegas, it will soon become clear whether Aldo can perform to his best amidst worries for his physical well-being.
(Featured image source: Instagram/ Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo)