What’s next for Jose Aldo after suffering second straight knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 218?

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone, as UFC 218 blew the roof off Little Caesars Arena last Saturday night (Dec. 2, 2017) in Detroit, Michigan.

Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Alistair Overeem, who was knocked out cold (see it) by Francis Ngannou via “uppercut from hell.” And Justin Gaethje, who suffered the first loss of his pro career after getting knocked out by Eddie Alvarez in a thrilling back-and-forth brawl.

But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now 48 hours removed from the show?

Jose Aldo.

For the second time this year, Aldo came up short against Max Holloway, who is now the only man who can say he has two wins over the former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight champ.

Still, hats of to Jose, who took the fight on three week’s notice and didn’t go out without a fight, throwing caution to the wind in the later rounds, engaging in an all-out striking battle against the Hawaiian. In the end, Holloway was simply too much for Aldo, knocking him out in the third round (highlights), just as he did at UFC 212.

In defeating Aldo, Holloway left no doubt as to who the best 145-pound fighter in the world is today, as defending the strap against the same man you took it from should be more than enough to convince even the most stubborn naysayer.

While “Blessed” can sit on his throne and look forward to new and exciting challenges, Aldo will have to go back to the drawing board and think about his future. The former champion’s coach has gone on record saying Jose wants to finish his current UFC deal to possibly pursue a boxing career. And with only two fights left on his contract, that could very well be a possibility more than ever.

Of course, he may not have to cut ties with UFC completely if he wants to get into the boxing ring.

Still, Aldo will be an MMA fighter for the foreseeable future, but whether or not he decides to stay at 145 pounds or seek new life at Lightweight, remains to be seen. If he stays at Featherweight, I’d like to see him take on the loser of the upcoming bout between Cub Swanson and Brian Ortega. If he decides to pack on the pounds and fight at 155 pounds, perhaps a showdown against Anthony Pettis is in order. The two men were set to bang it out a few years back, but an injury to ‘Showtime” scratched those plans.

With both men coming off defeats, I think it’s an interesting bounce back fight for both of them. Two former champions who prefer to strike, what’s not to like?

To get full play-by-play updates and results for UFC 218: “Holloway vs Aldo 2” click here.