Merab Dvalishvili details 'retirement' conversation with Jose Aldo after defeating 'Junior' at UFC 278

Merab Dvalishvili has opened up about his conversation with Jose Aldo after their bantamweight matchup at UFC 278. In a grappling-heavy affair, wrestling wizard Dvalishvili outpointed the legendary Brazilian and secured a unanimous decision win.

In the latest edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Dvalishvili harked back to his emotional post-fight conversation with Aldo. The Georgian fighter explained that during their conversation inside the octagon, Aldo told him that the loss ended his UFC bantamweight title quest and that it was his final run at UFC gold.

According to Dvalishvili, ‘Junior’ suggested that he’s done with professional MMA competition. He expressed his sadness at being the one to thwart Aldo's title aspirations and stated:

“I feel great. Yeah, it’s a little bit sad. After my fight, Jose Aldo, he retired. I stopped him from title fight. But otherwise, I feel great, man.”

The Georgian continued:

“He [Aldo] told me, actually. Actually, when he was down, and then I go to shake his hand, and tell him thank you so much for fight, and when I go to respect him, he was down. I tried to help him, and then he was told me. He say, ‘That means that this is my last fight because it was my last run to title.’ And then he say, ‘I guess I’m done.” [sic]

Watch Dvalishvili discuss the topic at 1:03:22 in the video below:

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Jose Aldo issues a statement after his loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278

The victory over Jose Aldo has likely catapulted Merab Dvalishvili into the UFC bantamweight title picture. Meanwhile, it’s unclear as to whether or not Jose Aldo has indeed retired from MMA.

Presently, the MMA legend and former UFC featherweight champion is yet to make any official announcement in that regard. However, Aldo did issue an optimistic statement after losing the closely-contested fight at UFC 278. Taking to Instagram, ‘The King of Rio’ wrote:

“We are the history we make. Take care of every detail of your path, every step, step or bend. Every challenge and every accomplishment He is a better planner than you. You may even doubt him but he will always believe in you.”

Aldo continued:

“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 heart beat. Don't accept a life less than you deserve. Thank you for all the affection I received along my journey, it's priceless. Who will be in the trenches next to you? - and does it matter ? - More than the war itself”