After Barboza kicked off the main card in Rio with a bang, Aldo closed it out with a celebration amongst the crowd.
On a collision course since their days in the WEC, Aldo and Mendes finally crossed paths inside the Octagon, with the challenger going on the road in his quest to claim championship gold.
Mendes wasn’t fazed by facing Aldo in Rio and acquitted himself quite well through the majority of the opening round. Locked onto Aldo’s waist along the fence, he looked to elevate the champion and dump him to the canvas, but the Brazilian stuffed the takedown by grabbing a handful of fence.
He wasn’t penalized, the positions didn’t change, and soon after, Aldo spun free of Mendes’ clutches and blasted him with a huge knee that sent him tumbling to the canvas. There was one second remaining on the clock, but as soon as it landed, it was clear the fight was over.
Elated, Aldo rushed into the stands, celebrating with the raucous crowd, showing why he carried the “King of Rio” moniker throughout his career.