‘He Doesn’t Sell’ Legend Jose Aldo Says UFC Should Cut Undefeated Fighter If He Loses — And That’s Ridiculous On So Many Levels

Jose Aldo is one of the amazing fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. He’s arguably the greatest featherweight in UFC history and one of Brazil’s great warriors. That said, his recent take on Movsar Evloev is insane and part of what’s going wrong with the current UFC. Let’s talk MMA.

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What Did Jose Aldo Say About Movsar Evloev?

According to Aldo, the UFC should cut Evloev, who is 20-0 (10-0 in the UFC) if he loses a fight. Mind you, Evloev is set to challenge Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi — a title shot he has earned by defeating Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Arnold Allen, Aljamain Sterling (this one is controversial) and Lerone Murphy. There’s no one in the featherweight division more deserving of a title shot than Evloev. So how on God’s green Earth do we rationalize cutting him if he loses to Volk — or anybody else?

It also seems Aldo’s issues with Evloev have deeper meaning.

Why Are Wrestlers Labeled Boring?

Aldo has been contaminated with the same ridiculous narrative the UFC brass have pushed and a portion of its fanbase has bought into. Evloev is a wrestler and almost no one likes or appreciates wrestlers. Many of the exciting stand-up fighters hate to see them coming because it is an archetype they struggle to beat. Guess what archetype Aldo belongs to?

Too many fans just want to see a brawl and they don’t understand wrestling as a martial art, so when they see it, they’re bored. I’ve watched good wrestlers bullied off their No. 1 skill or indirectly encouraged not to shoot for takedowns. Sometimes they wind up getting knocked out because they’re fighting to excite fans and please the organization rather than simply fighting to win. Gable Steveson is one of the most recent cases. Steveson is a world-class wrestler. An Olympic gold medalist who has been training MMA at Jackson Wink with Jon Jones for more than a year. While he blasted his way through his early MMA competition using his still-developing striking and never leaning on his already elite wrestling, he ran into a freight train in his last outing.

Last month at UFC 331, Sean Sharaf smoked Steveson in 12 seconds as the latter attempted to trade with the former in the opening moments of the fight. KOs can happen to anyone — even early ones. We saw what Jorge Masvidal did to Ben Askren when he predictably shot for a takedown in the opening seconds of their legendary fight.

That said, if Steveson wasn’t so ready and willing to engage Sharaf in a brawl to gain favor with the UFC and fans, would he have been in a position to get flattened in 12 seconds?

Is the UFC a Sport or Entertainment?

Demetrious Johnson recently said the UFC is not a sport, it’s entertainment. That was painful to hear, but he’s right and points of view like the one Aldo shared prove his point. In what sport is a dominant performer belittled and ridiculed for how they win? If an NFL team wins by running the ball 45 times a game and they barely pass, do we slam them because some fans — and even the NFL may want them to air it out?

If a Major League Baseball team wins with pitching and small ball and hits very few home runs, does the manager or the players get undersold and made to feel inferior because they don’t win with the long ball? I hear the sentiments that suggest combat sports are different. They are, but should they be in this instance?

Isn’t it the promoter’s job to sell their fighters to the public? “Purists” went bananas over DAZN Head of Boxing Britton Hardin’s recent claims that promoters should amplify fighters’ outside habits to help fans relate to them and make connections. Critics of his comments are just as off base as Aldo.

Whose Job Is It to Sell Fighters?

Do we want the UFC to be a roster of the best fighters in the world or just the guys and girls who sell? I think it can be both, but not if people like Evloev and Muhammad Mokaev are cut despite stellar in-Octagon performances. If a fighter is great and he or she doesn’t sell on their own, it’s the promoter’s job to find a way to make them marketable. The UFC has it in them. They pushed Bo Nickal relentlessly — and he deserved it. The guy is a stellar wrestler and combat sports athlete. Their push made fans want to see him lose, but you can’t say people don’t want to see him fight.

Nickal isn’t completely bland. He’s a thoughtful guy and one I’ve interviewed and enjoyed talking to ahead of his first appearance at Real American Freestyle. Still, he won’t be confused with Conor McGregor when it comes to compelling personalities. The UFC backed him by putting him in position to shine. Where’s that energy for Evloev and others like him?

Evloev has done more than enough to be on the UFC roster through a tough losing streak — let alone one loss.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com