For many fans, Alexander Volkanovski cemented his status as the featherweight GOAT at UFC 333. After all, the Aussie defeated previously undefeated Movsar Evloev at 38 years old, despite battling a nasty flu during fight week.
Volkanovski also secured his ninth featherweight title-fight victory, surpassing Jose Aldo’s previous UFC record. However, not everyone is ready to crown the Australian as the greatest 145lbs fighter of all time. One of those people is Jean Silva, who could be fighting Volkanovski for the featherweight title next.
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During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Silva argued that his fellow Brazilian, Aldo, was simply more accomplished than Volkanovski. And that’s despite the Australian setting a new benchmark for featherweight title-fight victories last weekend.
Silva isn’t just refusing to acknowledge Volk as the division’s GOAT. He also believes the reigning champion himself would agree that Aldo deserves the distinction.
“Since you asked, it’s my opinion. I would say, Jose Aldo. We are talking about 10 years undefeated and being a champion, that has a lot of weight, and I think that Volk would agree.”
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He added, “If there’s someone that has the authority and the experience to say this is Volkanovski himself and I think he can say it.”
There is certainly a strong case for Aldo. The Brazilian went undefeated for nearly a decade between 2005 and 2015, establishing himself as one of the most dominant champions in MMA history. He won the WEC featherweight title before carrying that dominance into the UFC, where he became the promotion’s inaugural 145lbs champion.
When his WEC reign is included, Aldo’s championship résumé becomes even more impressive, with nine consecutive title defenses across the two promotions. His legendary takedown defense and ability to remain competitive at the highest level for years further strengthen his claim. He even made a late-career run at the bantamweight title.
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However, Volkanovski has built a compelling case of his own. The Australian holds a unanimous decision victory over Aldo at UFC 237 in Rio de Janeiro. He also defeated Max Holloway three times, including twice while defending his featherweight title. Holloway, of course, was the fighter who ended Aldo’s first UFC title reign with back-to-back stoppage victories.
At 38, Volkanovski is still destroying younger, elite challengers. His victory over the previously undefeated Evloev, who entered UFC 333 with a perfect 20-0 record, was another reminder that age hasn’t slowed down the Australian.
So, while Silva believes Aldo’s longevity and dominance put him ahead, Volkanovski’s record-breaking title run gives fans plenty of reasons to argue otherwise. Both legends have impressive resumes, but the debate over who truly deserves the featherweight GOAT title is far from settled.
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Who do you think is the greatest 145lbs fighter of all time: Alexander Volkanovski or Jose Aldo?
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