Alexander Volkanovski raises eyebrows over judges' call in Jose Aldo's UFC 315 farewell

UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski joins other fighters expressing concerns about the contested judging calls that dominated the stage for Jose Aldo’s final fight at UFC 315. The legendary Brazilian fighter made it official on Saturday with his retirement following a controversial unanimous decision loss to Aiemann Zahabi at Bell Centre in Montreal, where the MMA world began to debut over the seemingly obvious judging mistake.
Controversial scorecards prompt backlash from UFC championsAldo brought Zahabi down twice in the third round with a knee and a head kick, but all three judges still gave the round to the Canadian fighter. This move left the viewers confused, especially given the UFC’s tendency to award points primarily for sustained striking rather than dominant control.

Former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos was frank on social media, saying: “The way this fight was judged – forcing one of the sport’s all-time greats to call it quits early – was disgraceful.” Bad judgments could have forced one of the sport’s greatest fighters to retire earlier than he should have. Most of Jose Aldo’s recent losses were a result of questionable decisions by the judges.

Renato Moicano, a Brazilian fighter, reflected the views, describing it as “essentially one of the most egregious decisions in memory”, and the verdict as a disgrace. Speaking on his YouTube page, Alexander Volkanovski explained the final round of Jose Aldo’s UFC 315 farewell bout in detail, and how damage was important to the result. The former featherweight champion explained that although Jose Aldo had been exhausted and submitted later in the round, the crucial events were his knockdown.
Aldo's legacy remains untarnished despite a controversial endingJose Aldo, who had already turned 38 before this fight, had previously said he would fight at 145 pounds after struggling to make the bantamweight weight cap for the Zahabi bout. However, following that disappointing phone call, Jose Aldo told his interpreter, “I don’t think I can go on anymore,” and announced his retirement in the post-fight interview.

This controversial finish follows another decision loss to Mario Bautista at UFC 307, in which many viewers believed Jose Aldo had won the bout. Though his career was tragically ruined by a stumble, Jose Aldo will find a place in the history of UFC as one of the greatest fighters. As the former featherweight king, Jose Aldo was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023, but he had already established dominance over the division with skillful striking and a destructive leg.

Highlights and analysis from UFC 315 can be found on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass, with the following UFC fight card scheduled for May 18 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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As the MMA world processes Aldo's retirement, many are calling for reform in judging practices to prevent similar controversies from affecting future fights and fighters' careers.