ON THIS DATE in 2005, Jose Aldo suffered the first — and only — defeat of his MMA career. Just 19 at the time, Aldo was submitted by Luciano Azevedo in the second round of a fight that took place in his native Brazil.
In the meantime, Aldo has won 18 consecutive bouts and is currently the UFC’s featherweight world champion. However, Ireland’s Conor McGregor will be aiming to end that victorious streak in Las Vegas on 12 December.
These 15 Irish sporting facts sum up just how long it’s been since Aldo had his last taste of defeat:
Ulster were the only Irish province to have won the Heineken Cup…
Life after Manchester United for Roy Keane was just eight days old…
Henry Shefflin had ONLY won three All-Ireland medals…
Pádraig Harrington didn’t know what it was like to win a major…
Ireland had never played in the Cricket World Cup…
The Cork ladies footballers had just won their first of 10 All-Ireland titles…
Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll looked like this…
Andy Lee’s professional debut was still five months away…
Jack McCaffrey had just turned 12…
Cork City were the League of Ireland Premier Division champions…
Rory McIlroy was still an amateur…
Peter Canavan was on the Allstar football team…
Clinton Morrison was banging in the goals for Ireland, scoring three in the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign…
The All-Ireland hurling champions at the time are still waiting to win their next one…
And Conor McGregor was yet to have his first training session in MMA…