José Aldo
José Aldo is Brazil’s “King of Rio,” a former UFC and WEC featherweight champion who shares his life beyond MMA while exploring grappling and boxing opportunities.
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Latest
José’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
UFC
UFCOverview
- From
- Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Known as
- The King of Rio; Júnior
- Team
- Nova União
- Breakout
- WEC featherweight champion in 2009
- Legacy
- First UFC featherweight champion; seven successful defenses in his first reign
- Recognition
- UFC Hall of Fame, Modern Wing, Class of 2023
Mini bio
How it started.
Born in Manaus, José Aldo moved to Rio de Janeiro at 17 to pursue MMA. At Nova União, André Pederneiras helped guide his development. He made his professional debut in 2004 and joined the WEC in 2008.
The breakthrough.
An eight-second finish of Cub Swanson helped put Aldo on the path to a title shot. In November 2009, he beat Mike Brown to become WEC featherweight champion. When the WEC was absorbed into the UFC, he became the UFC’s first champion at that weight in 2010.
The King of Rio.
Aldo defended his UFC belt seven times during his first reign. Fans remember both his 2012 knockout of Chad Mendes and the celebration that followed, when he jumped out of the cage to join the Rio crowd. Their 2014 rematch became another defining fight, with Aldo winning over five rounds.
Life beyond the title.
After losing the belt to Conor McGregor, Aldo won an interim title against Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 and later competed at bantamweight. He entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023, returned to beat Jonathan Martinez in 2024, and retired from MMA again in 2025. In 2026, he returned for a grappling match with Marlon Vera and spoke about possible future boxing appearances.
Creditschronological, newest first
- 2024UFC 301: Jonathan MartinezBantamweight winner by unanimous decision
- 2016UFC 200: Frankie Edgar IIInterim featherweight title winner
- 2014UFC 179: Chad Mendes IISuccessful featherweight title defense
- 2009WEC 44: Mike BrownWEC featherweight title winner
Awards
Quotes
Thank you to everyone who has always been by my sideJosé Aldo, public Linkme feed
A thank-you to supporters in his post celebrating his UFC Hall of Fame recognition.
Trivia
- His UFC athlete Q&A names Mike Tyson as a hero and the arm lock as his favorite technique.
- He holds black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and luta livre.
- “Run This Town” became his signature walkout song after his WEC title defense against Urijah Faber.
- His life inspired the biographical film Mais Forte que o Mundo – A História de José Aldo.
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