José Aldo is ready to defend his belt. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
With its star-studded card, UFC 156 has all the makings of a historic event for MMA. The main event is a featherweight title fight between champion José Aldo and his challenger Frankie Edgar. The Brazilian will defend his UFC title for the third time in a row.
Initially scheduled for last October’s UFC Rio 3, the bout was postponed because of a foot injury sustained by the champion. Now recovered and ready for battle, the fighter promises his duel with Edgar will be a lively one.
“I’m really motivated for this fight. I feel it’s going to be a really dynamic and exciting bout,” he said. “Edgar is a highly qualified adversary with almost no holes in his game. I want to show I’m ready for the biggest challenge of my career.”
With the aim of hanging onto his title, Aldo again relied on the help of Gray Maynard, a fighter on the UFC roster who helped him prepare for his Jan. 2012 fight with Chad Mendes. Maynard, who fought Edgar on three occasions, spent some time at Nova União team headquarters helping to polish up the Brazilian’s game.
“Maynard is a great athlete. It was a huge help that I could count on him again, especially because he’s a specialist when it comes to fighting Edgar,” Aldo remembered with a laugh. “We did some training specifically with this fight in mind.”
On the same day that Aldo and Edgar lock horns for the featherweight strap, Rogério “Minotouro” Nogueira will take on Rashad Evans in the co-main event. There will also be a heavyweight tilt between Antonio “Bigfoot” and Alistair Overeem.
Check out the complete card.
UFC 156
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada
February 2, 2013
- Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar
- Rashad Evans vs Rogerio Nogueira
- Alistair Overeem vs Antonio Silva
- Jon Fitch vs Demian Maia
- Joseph Benavidez vs Ian McCall
- Gleison Tibau vs Evan Dunham
- Tyron Woodley vs Jay Hieron
- Jacob Volkmann vs Bobby Green
- Yves Edwards vs Isaac Vallie-Flagg
- Chico Camus vs Dustin Kimura
- Edwin Figueroa vs Francisco Rivera
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