• UFC 129

Hominick two wins from title rematch with Aldo

ESPN staff
May 5, 2011

Mark Hominick has revealed the UFC told him he will get a UFC featherweight title rematch if he wins his next two fights.

Hominick turned in a Fight of the Night performance in front of his home fans at UFC 129, finishing his showdown with Jose Aldo on top of the champion, raining down punches before the final bell came to the Brazilian's aid. Aldo had won the previous four rounds, so took a unanimous decision victory away from Toronto, but it was anything but comfortable.

Now Aldo will head into a likely encounter with Chad Mendes, but Hominick says two more wins will see him heading into a title rematch.

"They (the UFC) were thrilled," Hominick said on The Fan 590 RadioMonday. "They were like, 'Heal up and we want you back as soon as you can. In another two fights you will get another crack at the title.'

"I know some of the things I have to work on to take him out. I don't think he would be lining up to fight me to tell you the honest truth. I don't think that fight puts me on the bottom of the pile. I'm still up there with the performance I put in. Jose Aldo hasn't lost in five years. He's never been in any type of trouble in any of his fights and I almost finished him. I took him to his limits."

Theories over Aldo's dip in performance level, after he dominated the first round, are widespread. The Brazilian had a toe injury for which he was taking antibiotics, he had put on extra muscle, and Chad Mendes claims the champion simply does not have the required endurance for heavy grappling.

Hominick offers his own view, claiming it was some early liver shots that affected Aldo, and he is adamant a sixth round would have seen him lift the title.

"Honestly, I think 30 seconds more and I could have finished the fight. I wasn't stopping and he was fading. I think at the four-minute mark he was waiting for that bell to ring. Besides the knockdown I believe it was pretty close throughout the fight. He just had heavy hands and any time he landed a clean punch he did damage and I think that was the difference in the fight.

"I hurt him early. A lot of people were talking about he was getting tired, he was tired because I hit him in the body. Even in the first round I hit him with a couple of hard liver shots. That's like my patented punch and I always attack the body on everybody. It takes your will to fight and I think that's why he changed up the game plan and took me to the mat.

"It was a war and we got fight of the night for a reason. He did a lot of damage but like I said I inflicted a lot of damage on him and almost got the finish in the fifth round. Every couple of shots I landed a hard shot and I could just see it in his eyes. As much as he's a champion and he wants to go out swinging, he was wanting that bell to ring."

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