UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo Jr. will have to wait a little longer to make the first defence of his new UFC title. The Brazilian phenom has been forced out of his January 1, 2011 bout with Josh “The Fluke” Grispi at UFC 125 due to what is reportedly compacted vertebrae in his spine.
Heavy.com first reported the news of the fight’s cancellation, while ESPN’s Josh Gross was first to clarify the nature of Aldo’s injury. Aldo had hoped to push forward with the fight despite tingling in his arms from the injury, but was ultimately forced to withdraw and may return in three months.
Aldo (18-1-0) became a star in the WEC after debuting in the promotion with five straight knockout victories. He captured the promotion’s Featherweight Championship by defeating Mike Brown at WEC 44 and made two successful title defences in bouts with Urijah Faber and Manny Gamburyan. Prior to UFC 123 on Saturday, Aldo was presented with his new UFC Featherweight Championship belt had been scheduled to make the first defence of the title against rising star Josh Grispi at UFC 125.
Battling through pain and tingling in his arms, Aldo intended to push forward with his UFC debut, but opted to withdraw from the fight on account of advice from Nova Uniao trainer Andre Pederneiras. A timetable for Aldo’s return is not yet known, though he maybe be ready for his Octagon debut in 3-4 months. A replacement co-main event bout has not yet been named.
UFC 125: “Resolution” takes place on January 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between champion Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and challenger Gray “The Bully” Maynard.
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)