Jose Aldo issues statement following UFC 278 loss against Merab Dvalishvili

By Fernando Quiles - August 21, 2022

Jose Aldo has spoken out following his UFC 278 defeat at the hands of Merab Dvalishvili.

Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor

Aldo and Dvalishvili collided on the main card of UFC 278 on August 20. This was the biggest fight in Merab’s pro MMA career. While fans anticipated a barn burner, that isn’t what we ended up getting.

Instead, Merab was able to thwart Aldo’s offense with his grappling, which saw Aldo’s back pressed against the fence throughout the fight. It made for an uneventful fight, which ultimately saw Merab take home a unanimous decision victory.

Aldo was visibly frustrated throughout the bout and was stunned by the decision. The future UFC Hall of Famer took to his Instagram account to issue the following statement after the loss:

“We are the story we write. Take care of every detail of your path, every step, step or curve. Every difficulty and every achievement. He’s a better planner than you. You may even doubt him, but he will always believe in you. He put you in this world to shine. To be better every day. To smile and make people around you smile. What matters is what makes your heartbeat. Don’t accept a less amazing life than you deserve. Thank you for all the affection I receive along my walk, this is priceless.

“Who will be in the trenches by your side? – Does it matter? – More than the war itself.”

While Merab picked up a huge victory, he hasn’t exactly found himself in the good graces of UFC President Dana White. Following UFC 278, Dana told reporters that he doesn’t believe Dvalishvili did himself any favors with his performance.