Jose Aldo sustains nasty cut in training, optimistic UFC 212 bout with Holloway won’t be affected

In a little over three weeks’ time, in the main event of UFC 212, Jose Aldo will attempt to unify his undisputed featherweight title with the interim featherweight title of Max Holloway. Unfortunately, Aldo has sustained a pretty significant cut in training – significant enough that it required him to get five stitches.

Though this initially sounds like disastrous news for UFC 212’s main event, Aldo assures the fight will go ahead as planned, promising that the placement of the cut renders it a non-issue.

“This is a normal cut,” the UFC featherweight champ told Combate (via BloodyElbow). “I’ve fought with my eyebrow stitched up, once. This one is on the top of my head. It’s a sign of victory. I was sparring last week, I went for a double leg and there was a clash of heads. I’m training as usual. The placement of the cut doesn’t hinder me in any way. It’s cool. I got five stitches.

“I’m supposed to take them off tomorrow, but we’ll see. It didn’t change my routine. The day I got cut, I got the stitches and then went right back to train jiu-jitsu. It’s right on the top of my head, where there’s no contact or impact. The cut changes nothing.”

This fight will be Aldo’s first in almost a year. When we last saw him in action, he defeated Frankie Edgar to win interim featherweight gold. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to undisputed champ, when Conor McGregor was stripped of that title after three-straight fights outside the division.

Holloway, meanwhile, will enter the fight on a dazzling, ten-fight streak. This streak is highlighted by defeats of big names like Andre Fili, Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Jeremy Stephens, Ricardo Lamas, and most recently, former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

Do you think this cut could affect Jose Aldo more than he’s leading on?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/10/2017.