In an era where legends are calling it quits in the UFC, featherweight icon Jose Aldo marches on. You can tell ‘Scarface’ truly enjoys fighting given his style, and you can even go as far as to say that Aldo has never been in a boring fight. Seven title defenses under the UFC banner, along with titles in previous promotions and specular wins over top opponents in two different weight classes—Jose Aldo is a fighting machine. But then, the legend decided to walk away from the sport when he lost to Merab Dvalishvili in 2022.However, in a surprising plot twist, he returned to fight Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301 in May 2024, winning the fight by unanimous decision. The UFC Hall of Famer had decided to retire after the birth of his son. But with MMA being his true calling, staying away from the Octagon seemed impossible. This kind of trajectory in UFC and MMA calls for matchups with legends, right? After all, Aldo has earned his stripes for being a fighter’s fighter.But here’s the thing. The UFC doesn’t like clogging up divisions because actively competing legends exist in the sport. After a certain age, if you’re not a champion, you’re fodder, manning the gates for newer contenders to enter and make their mark. Jose Aldo is by no means a gatekeeper, and ‘Scarface’ has faced and beaten younger blood in the organization. But it seems like the UFC is more keen to give him new fighters like Jonathan Martinez and Merab Dvalishvili rather than Henry Cejudo or any other legendary fighter. And so, we’ve arrived at Jose Aldo’s next matchup. Who is he fighting? As per an Instagram post by Home of Fight, “Josè Aldo vs. Aiemann Zahabi is set for UFC 315 on May 10th, per @ben_beaudoin.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by HOME OF FIGHT (@homeoffight)For the unversed, Aiemann Zahabi is the younger brother of famed Tristar head coach Firas Zahabi. Now, although is ca year younger to Aldo at 37, he is by no means a legend. With a 12-2 record, the Laval, Quebec native has only competed eight times under the UFC’s banner. In contrast, Jose Aldo, 32-9, has almost double the number of fights just in the UFC (22), compared to his UFC 315 opponent’s entire MMA career.At 38, Aldo remains a dangerous factor in the 135 lbs division with a #11 ranking. From a rankings perspective, the fight makes sense, given that Aiemann Zahabi is ranked #13 in the bantamweight division. But fans are not happy with Dana White and the UFC for this pairing and pulled no punches reacting to the bout being announced.Fans lash out on UFC and Jose Aldo’s management over UFC 315 matchup‘The King of Rio’ is back and this time he is going up to Canada to take on a fighter ranked below him. And that’s the problem—Aldo is risking his #11 spot for someone new to the organization. Fans left no stone unturned in directing their rage towards the UFC, seeing the featherweight legend being paired up with someone comparatively unknown.One fan complained, “Can we please give Aldo a legend?” while another said, “Tf are these matchups for Aldo.” Another follower pointed to his last two fights in the UFC, blaming Aldo’s management, “First Martinez and then Bautista now this. Wtf is wrong with Aldo’s management.” There indeed was a visible uproar when Aldo was supposed to fight Bautista at UFC 307. The fans were not happy and wanted a better name value for the former champ. On top of that, they were also not happy that UFC booked Aldo in a high-altitude fight, given that his last loss to Merab Dvalishvili was in an elevated region. One follower mentioned Aiemann Zahabi and said, “I’ve never heard of this dude in my life,” while another commented on Zahabi’s resemblance with famous reporter Ariel Helwani stating, “Aldo vs Ariel? Really?” And the comparisons to the famed journalist didn’t stop as one user wrote, “Aldo is whopping Ariel.”One fan alluded to Zahabi’s last fight which was a win over Pedro Munhoz, and said, “Disrespecting legends nobody wants to see Zahabi fight after his last wack a— performance.” And the comments about giving Jose Aldo a legend in the twilight of his career kept pouring in, “Give Aldo a legend man wtf is this.” One follower stated, “These fights are pointless for Aldo’s career and legacy. Bro is going the gatekeeper routes.”For Aiemann Zahabi, fighting a legend like Aldo and winning would add immensely to his resume. But can Aldo establish himself at 135 lbs again and find himself in the winning column? Share your thoughts in the comments below. The post “Give Aldo a Legend” – Calls Mount on Dana White for ‘Disrespecting’ Jose Aldo After UFC 315 Decision appeared first on EssentiallySports.