Training partner about Aldo at rooster: 'He will surprise you with his speed and strength'

D. Dantas (left) believes in a good debut for J. Aldo (right) in the bantamweight division. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @dududantasmma

MMA fans are curious to see how José Aldo will perform well in his debut in the bantamweight division (up to 61,2kg), which will take place on December 15th in one of the fights on the main card of the UFC 245. As far as Eduardo Dantas, fighter and training partner from Manauara, depends, the public will not be disappointed with the performance of the former featherweight champion (up to 65,7kg). In an interview with 'MMA Fighting', Dantas spoke about the expectations for the 'People's Champion's debut in the new category.

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“He is training hard every morning. He is focused. He's faster now, but with the same strength in his fists. So, he is much more dangerous. He's kicking harder. He will impress everyone with his speed and strength among roosters”, said Eduardo.

Dantas also made a point of explaining that a weight cut like the one Aldo is undergoing is not directly linked to a loss in performance. For the teammate, the Manauara's body type will allow the fighter to perform at a high level and place him as a competitive athlete within the new category.

“Some people associate weight loss with loss of performance, but they have to look at the situation as a whole. Aldo has always weighed around 71kg (approximately 10kg above the bantamweight limit) when he is not training, then he went up to 75kg when he was playing at featherweight. So, I think it will be a smooth weight cut,” said Dantas.

Even with confidence in a good result for his partner, Eduardo believes that the fight against Marlon will be a real spectacle, considering that these are two athletes with the qualifications to be champions, in addition to having title fights on their resume.

“It's going to be a great fight and I'm betting my money on Aldo. I've been training with him every day for a long time and I've trained with Marlon (Moraes) too. Marlon is a tough fighter, very explosive with his right hand and kicks with his left, so you need to be careful”, asked Dantas.

The duel between Brazilians could guarantee the winner the right to challenge the current champion, Henry Cejudo for the category belt. A few months ago, José publicly challenged the North American, who accepted the confrontation. Before acting for the strap, however, the Ultimate board proposed an initial test for the man from Manaus, pitting him straight away against an elite athlete in the division.

At 33 years old, Aldo is coming off a defeat to Alexander Volkanovsky in his last performance, in May, for UFC 237. Over his 15-year professional career in MMA, the 'People's Champion' has had 33 fights, with 28 wins and five losses.

Moraes is also coming off a defeat. The athlete ended up losing in his fight against Cejudo in the dispute for the vacant bantamweight title in the main clash of the UFC 238. The 31-year-old from Friborg currently has 29 appearances, with 22 triumphs, six setbacks and one draw.