Irene Aldana won’t listen to critics.
The UFC women’s bantamweight contender is well aware of some things being said online following her most recent defeat. Aldana (12-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) lost a lopsided unanimous decision to former champion Holly Holm in the main event of UFC on ESPN 16 on Oct. 4. The defeat snapped a two-fight winning streak for the Mexican.
Some critics have called for Aldana to leave her Lobo Gym team in Guadalajara. However, she thinks they have it all wrong.
“When everything is going well, you’re the pride of Mexico, and you’re the best athlete, and they only have good things to say about you,” Aldana said in Spanish on Hablemos MMA EXTRA. “But when you lose, some people, not everyone, say publicly everything that I’m missing, and they also took it to my corner and trainers saying that I need to switch gyms.
“Honestly, every time I lose, people tell me to change gyms. I’ve lost fights in 2013, and they told me to change gyms then, and now I’m fighting against the top, the best in the world, and I didn’t have to change gyms. I find myself at the best level of the UFC. I did feel sad about disappointing and making my corner look bad when I couldn’t perform. My corner was actually doing a great job, and I had an excellent training camp and game plan. I was the one unable to execute. I also like being a fighter 100 percent made in Mexico, and I’m not going to change teams when I’ve been getting good results.”
Aldana is not opposed to considering a change in gyms if she weren’t improving or getting good results. However, she doesn’t think that’s the case, citing evolution in the game and progress in the division.
The biggest takeaway in the Holm fight was Aldana’s inability to stop Holm’s takedowns and wrestling. The 32-year-old thinks she’s not specifically lacking in the grappling department and believes she needs to improve all around.
Aldana suffered a broken foot two days prior to the Holm bout in an accident while hitting pads and will go under the knife on Monday. She believes that to be a big reason why she wasn’t able to perform to her full capability.
“I think I need to focus and improve everything,” Aldana said. “I don’t think it was so much about that I didn’t have the wrestling. I think it was more that I wasn’t able to resolve or act the way I wanted in that fight. My head and my body weren’t there.
“I have excellent wrestling coaches. I have one of the best takedown defenses in the UFC. I have wins by submission, so I can’t say I’m at zero. I also can’t say I’m the best wrestler or the best grappler, but I’m no rookie, and I do have a good level, a competitive level. I know if I would’ve been 100 percent in there I would’ve done a better job. I’m going to be ready in all areas. I’m going to be ready to wrestle and even take down. I had good takedowns ready for the fight and good submissions, but if the body doesn’t respond and your head doesn’t either then the technique won’t flow.”
Despite the loss, it wasn’t all bad news for Aldana. She made history that night as the first Mexican woman to headline a UFC event. It was a special moment for her.
“I’m doing what I love, and the fact that I was able to take that to that level not only for me, but also for my team and for Mexico,” Aldana said. “To be able to take my country’s flag to that stage and platform, I just wanted to represent the best way possible. Things didn’t work out, but it’s a sport – you win and you lose. The next one I will do a better job, but always being able to represent Mexico through my work, it’s always an honor.”