Jose Aldo, born on September 9, 1986, in Manaus, Brazil, is one of the most iconic figures in MMA history. His journey in combat sports began with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) after starting with capoeira. Aldo’s early training was supported by a local gym that provided free lessons, and he quickly excelled, eventually transitioning to MMA at the age of 17. Aldo made his professional debut in 2004, and he soon developed a reputation as a fierce striker with knockout power. His first major breakthrough came in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), where he captured the WEC Featherweight Championship in 2009. When the WEC merged with the UFC in 2010, Aldo was crowned the inaugural UFC Featherweight Champion. He defended the title seven times, showcasing his striking skills and remarkable takedown defense.
Despite setbacks, including his famous 13-second knockout loss to Conor McGregor in 2015, Aldo's career was defined by resilience. He moved down to bantamweight later in his UFC run and challenged for the title in this weight class as well. Aldo retired in 2022 with a record of 31 wins and 8 losses, and he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023. However, Aldo’s retirement was cut short as he returned to the promotion at UFC 301 against Jonathan Martinez, winning the fight via a unanimous decision. Aldo’s next outing is against Mario Bautista at UFC 307 on October 5, 2024.
Jose Aldo Title Defences
Jose Aldo made seven successful defenses of the UFC featherweight title during his reign, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest mixed martial artists, especially in the featherweight division. He first defended his belt at UFC 129 in 2011 against Mark Hominick, via unanimous decision in a grueling five-round fight. Later in the year, he outpointed Kenny Florian at UFC 136.
The next defense was quite memorable, knocking out Chad Mendes with an indirect vicious knee in the first round at UFC 142, portraying his power. He then defeated Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision at UFC 156 in 2013 and then Chan Sung Jung, better known as The Korean Zombie, via fourth-round TKO at UFC 163.
His next big test came at UFC 169, where once again he defended the belt against Ricardo Lamas, this time by unanimous decision. Lastly, Aldo fended off Chad Mendes in a much-anticipated rematch at UFC 179, winning a very closely contested unanimous decision in what many consider one of his best performances.
Unfortunately, Aldo's dominant run finally came to a close in 2015 when he was famously knocked out by Conor McGregor 13 seconds into the fight at UFC 194.
FAQs on Jose Aldo's title defences
A. Jose Aldo defended the UFC featherweight title seven times.
A. Yes, when the WEC merged with the UFC in 2010, Aldo was crowned the first UFC Featherweight Champion.
A. As of October 2024, Jose Aldo is 38 years old.
A. As of October 2024, Jose Aldo maintains a record of 32 wins and 8 losses.
