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Champions never get to go out on their own terms. Especially in fighting, a champion will keep fighting for his belt to prove he's the best ever in search of eternal glory.

Anderson Silva tried to do it, failed. Ronda Rousey? Same fate. Georges St-Pierre is the only one who was able to walk away with his pride after 12 straight title defenses, but even that came after losing the belt one fight into his first run as champion.

And even GSP wants to get back into the Octagon now.

So why are we surprised by Jose Aldo losing his second fight in his last three via TKO to Max Holloway at UFC 212?

Before suffering his only professional defeat in 2005 -- twelve years ago! -- Aldo ran through the best 145-pound fighters in the world. Not just beating them on points like GSP, but dominating them. He knocked out nine of the best featherweight fighters in the world at a time when the division was still seen as more of an underground phenomenon of World Extreme Cagefighting before UFC brought the division into the spotlight.

After winning the featherweight crown off Mike Brown via TKO in 2009, Aldo never looked back, dominating Urijah Faber, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes and Frankie Edgar (twice).

For six years, Aldo took on the best of the best at 145. For six years, he was invincible. He never had to be a flashy, trash talker like Anderson Silva. He simply went into the cage knowing how much better he was than his opponent, disposing of them at will.

And as unceremoniously as the crown was taken from his head in 13 seconds by Conor McGregor in 2015, the aura of Aldo continued.

Even on Saturday night, Aldo was up on each judge's scorecard through the first two rounds of the fight. Holloway was tentative to press in the beginning, having full knowledge of the power Aldo carries in his hands and the litany of foes who have been buried by them.

But in the end, all champions in fighting meet the same fate: chewed up and spit out like a piece of food stuck in Father Time's teeth. A younger, hungrier version of Jose Aldo took down the legend on Saturday night: a 26-year-old phenom who has now won 11 straight fights.

He's a more well-rounded version of the champ, ready to stake his claim as one of the greats. The only hope is that Holloway gets the respect Aldo did during his reign because one day another young foe will come for his crown. 

Jose Aldo may be down as champion, but his legacy will live on forever in the 145-pound division -- the division he built and fighters he helped craft to beat him.