UFC featherweight champion José Aldo is currently getting ready to defend his title for the fourth time against Erik Koch, and he's confident he'll emerge victorious once again. The two will headline the UFC 153 fight card set for Oct. 13, at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Aldo was originally set to face Koch at UFC 149, but an injury forced him to pull out of the fight. He'll now get to defend the featherweight title in his native country for the second consecutive time, which is completely fine with the Brazilian.
"I hope it happens again and again, and also with others," Aldo said during an interview with Marcelo Barone. "I've been through this before and I know the routine, and I love fighting at home. I'll try to do this over and over and get better each time so there are no surprises."
Aldo will be a huge favorite going into his UFC 153 encounter against Koch, but he has no intentions of overlooking his less-experienced opponent. "Scarface" understands how big a single mistake can be in MMA, and he vows to bring his A-game against Koch.
"Erik's is a great opponent," Aldo added. "I know him since WEC, but I haven't really taken a good look at him yet. In the future, when we get together, I'll see what he's like and then I'll tell you. For now, I know him as a friend. I talk to him like I talk to everybody."
Koch put on a decent performance in his last outing against Jonathan Brookins, dominating their 15-minute encounter at "UFC Fight Night 25." However, he'll be in for a serious step up in competition when he faces Aldo at UFC 153.
Even though Koch has put together a solid 13-1 professional MMA record, it does seem like he's getting a title shot a bit too early. He doesn't really have that much experience against high caliber opponents, and he might find himself a bit overwhelmed when he squares up against Aldo on Oct. 13.
David is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing practitioner that has watched and studied MMA for the past 7 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Marcelo Barone, "Jose Aldo ready for Erik Koch: 'I want to finish it as soon as possible'"
Fight and fighter information from Sherdog.com
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