With Jose Aldo hanging up the gloves after a storied profession as UFC and WEC featherweight king, Jafel Filho feels additional duty when it’s his time to enter the octagon.
A teammate of Aldo at Nova União, Filho takes on Allan Nascimento at UFC Vegas 107 on Saturday. Filho informed MMA Preventing that different members of the Rio de Janeiro workforce now have to hold that flag to the highest to maintain the legacy alive.
“He helps everyone,” Filho mentioned of Aldo. “Aldo retired, and we cease to consider many issues. I keep in mind that early in my profession, all I needed was to see Aldo one time, and now I can name Aldo a brother. I bought emotional and cried [when he retired] of gratitude that I used to be in a position to share and witness moments in components of his profession, and likewise be capable to assist him in some camps. I’ve by no means seen anybody smarter and extra devoted than him in coaching. Now our duty has doubled as a result of Aldo has carried the title of the workforce for a few years, and now it’s as much as the brand new era to hold that legacy.”
Filho was emotional watching Aldo retire earlier this month at UFC 315 in Montreal, and remembers the day Aldo mentioned the flyweight expertise had what it takes to change into UFC champion at some point.
“He known as me at some point after coaching and mentioned, ‘‘Pastor,’ let me inform you one factor: you’ve gotten nice probabilities at changing into champion of this weight class. Your recreation, the way in which you combat is a bit completely different,’” Filho mentioned. “That caught with me as a result of it by no means crossed my head that I’d be subsequent to him, I simply needed to see him, and now he’s taking a look at me and saying this, ‘Jafel, you are able to do it too’, and giving me that [push]. Wow. It was like a swap turned in my head on the day he mentioned that. ‘Yeah, I can do it too. I need to. Let’s go!’”
Filho’s subsequent UFC task comes simply over a 12 months after his newest displaying, a bonus-winning first-round submission over Ode Osbourne on the UFC APEX. He was scheduled to face Nascimento in August 2024, however Nascimento withdrew from the Combat Night time card simply days forward because of sickness.
Filho targeted on the beginning of his baby after which returned to motion for a grappling win over top-ranked UFC flyweight Amir Albazi in December, anxiously ready for a UFC bout ever since.
For a second, Filho thought that UFC would ebook him versus Albazi given the actual fact he defeated him at ADXC, however the promotion opted to revisit the Nascimento match as a substitute. In the meantime, Albazi headlines the Aug. 2 UFC present on the APEX reverse Tatsuro Taira.
Filho and “Puro Osso” have had the overwhelming majority of their MMA wins come by way of submission, with 25 tapouts in 36 victories mixed, and the Nova União expertise hopes to safe his third straight end within the UFC after forcing Daniel Barez and Osbourne to faucet in back-to-back fights.
“I imagine my recreation is extra aggressive than his,” Filho mentioned. “I’ve 16 wins and just one got here in a call. I wish to go in aggressively for the end. I imagine it’s gong to be a enjoyable combat as a result of we’re each well-rounded and full. It could [end up being like a kickboxing match] nevertheless it may be like a jiu-jitsu match. It’s going to be superior to check myself towards a grappler of his degree. I respect him loads, nevertheless it’s going to be nice to combat him.”
“I’ve watched Allan for a very long time as a result of he was the title of the division for years in Brazil and I’ve all the time regarded as much as him, and now he’s in my manner and now we have to surpass that [obstacle]. This combat might simply have occurred a few years in the past in Brazil, nevertheless it’s nice that it’s taking place now within the UFC.”
