Despite UFC 218 loss to champion Max Holloway, ex-champ Jose Aldo 'always optimistic'

He kept it short and sweet, but former long-reigning UFC champ Jose Aldo has spoken up after this past Saturday’s title loss.

Aldo (26-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) met champ Max Holloway (19-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) at UFC 218, which aired on pay-per-view from Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit. The headliner, which served as a rematch of their title-unifier at UFC 212 in June, ended the same way their first meeting did: with a third-round TKO win for Holloway.

The fallen champ took some punishment leading up to the stoppage, but afterward received tons of praise and support from the defending champion, from UFC President Dana White and from a number of this teammates, family and friends on social media.

On Tuesday, the Brazilian took the time to thank everyone for the support and reassure them that, despite suffering the first skid of his career, he remains optimistic.

“I can only thank my family that I love for everything, my team Nova Uniao, the best in the world, for making me great and champion, and the fans who are always with me,” Aldo said. “Thank you very much to everyone. I will always be optimistic, because believing is the first step toward making it happen.” (via Instagram)

Só tenho que agradecer por tudo a minha família que eu amo, minha equipe, melhor do mundo “Nova Uniao” por me fazer grande e campeão aos amigos e fans que sempre estão comigo, muito obrigado a todos!! Serei sempre otimista, pois acreditar é o primeiro passo para fazer acontecer!!

A post shared by josealdojunioroficial (@josealdojunioroficial) on Dec 5, 2017 at 3:31pm PST

Aldo stepped in on short-notice to replace former 155-pound champion and two-time 145-pound title challenger Frankie Edgar, who left the card early last month due to injury. By doing so, the Brazilian had to withdraw from a previous appointment with Ricardo Lamas, set for UFC on FOX 26.

Holloway, who just turned 26, has extended his streak to 12 wins in a row. The champ’s last loss was to current 155-pound champ Conor McGregor. Aldo, in turn, has suffered losses in three of his last four UFC bouts – snapping nearly a decade of invincibility in MMA.

For complete coverage of UFC 218, check out the UFC Events section of the site.