Jose Aldo was in tears as his cornermen carried him around the Octagon on Saturday night.
And why shouldn’t he be?
The greatest featherweight in mixed martial arts history, the loser of three of his previous four fights, was in trouble against Jeremy Stephens in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 30.
But he rallied for an electrifying victory over Stephens at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, a victory that announced to the world his days as a top contender aren’t done yet.
The time of the TKO stoppage in favor of the former longtime UFC and WEC champion was 4:19 of the opening round.