UFC introduced that former WEC and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will likely be inducted into the UFC Corridor of Fame’s ‘Fashionable Wing’ as a member of the Class of 2023. The 2023 UFC Corridor of Fame Induction Ceremony will happen through the 11th Annual UFC Worldwide Struggle Week this summer time in Las Vegas and will likely be streamed reside on UFC FIGHT PASS.
“Jose Aldo is the best featherweight of all time,” UFC President Dana White mentioned. “From WEC to UFC, Jose helped us construct the game of MMA and UFC as a model, in addition to change the notion of the smaller weight courses and what they might accomplish contained in the Octagon. Will probably be an honor to induct him into the UFC Corridor of Fame this summer time.”
Aldo will enter the UFC Corridor of Fame as a member of the Fashionable Wing, becoming a member of others on this distinguished class, together with Forrest Griffin (2013), BJ Penn (2015), Urijah Faber (2017), Ronda Rousey (2018), Michael Bisping (2019), Rashad Evans (2019), Georges St-Pierre (2020), Khabib Nurmagomedov (2022) and Daniel Cormier (2022). The “Fashionable Period” class contains athletes who turned professional on or after November 17, 2000 (when the primary UFC occasion below the unified guidelines of MMA was held), are a minimal age of 35, or who’ve been retired for one yr or extra.
A veteran of 39 fights throughout his 18-year skilled MMA profession, Aldo compiled a report of 31-8 (24-7, UFC / WEC / PRIDE / Shooto Brazil), securing victories over UFC Corridor of Famers Urijah Faber and Cub Swanson. He additionally scored wins over former UFC light-weight champion Frankie Edgar, former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown, former Pancrase Korea light-weight event winner Chan Sung “The Korean Zombie” Jung, and former Shooto light-weight champion Alexandre Nogueira.
Aldo made his skilled MMA debut on August 10, 2004, as a part of EcoFight 1, knocking out his opponent through head kick in 18 seconds. He would win 9 of his subsequent 10 fights throughout 9 MMA promotions, together with Pancrase, Shooto Brazil and Jungle Fights, earlier than becoming a member of WEC in 2008.
Jose made his U.S. debut on June 1, 2008, on the prelims of WEC 34: FABER vs. PULVER, which passed off at ARCO Enviornment in Sacramento, Calif. He defeated former Shooto light-weight champion Alexandre Nogueira through TKO (punches) within the second spherical. Jose would win his subsequent 4 WEC fights through knockout, incomes him his first title shot towards champion Mike Brown.
WEC 44: BROWN vs. ALDO passed off on November 18, 2009, at The Pearl on the Palms On line casino in Las Vegas and served as Aldo’s first headlining occasion as an expert combined martial artist. Brown entered the primary occasion because the undisputed WEC featherweight champion with a 22-4 report and a 10-fight successful streak over three years.
Aldo, who entered the match on an eight-fight successful streak of his personal, used his pace, kicks, flying knees and takedown protection to regulate the battle till mounting and ending the bout two minutes into the second spherical to turn out to be the brand new WEC featherweight champion.
Jose would win his subsequent 9 fights, defending the title every time and pushing his successful streak to a formidable 17 over eight years. Throughout his title reign, he would function the ultimate WEC featherweight champion and turn out to be the inaugural UFC featherweight champion in 2010, because the group was absorbed by Zuffa.
After shedding the UFC featherweight championship to Conor McGregor at UFC 194, Aldo would bounce again and seize the interim UFC featherweight title by defeating former UFC light-weight champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 in 2016.
Over the following six years, Jose would proceed combating prime contenders within the featherweight and bantamweight division, securing wins over up and coming fighters corresponding to Rob Font, Marlon Vera, and Renato Moicano, in addition to veteran Jeremy Stephens. He retired in September 2022 after a loss to top-ranked bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278.
Aldo enters the UFC Corridor of Fame with a formidable resume that features:
- Most wins in UFC / WEC featherweight historical past – 18
- Most title battle wins in UFC / WEC featherweight historical past – 11
- Most knockouts in UFC / WEC featherweight historical past – 11
- Most finishes in UFC / WEC featherweight historical past – 11
- Most consecutive wins in WEC historical past – 8
- Youngest champion in WEC historical past – 23 years previous
- Highest takedown protection share in UFC / WEC featherweight historical past – 92.6%
- Tied for second-fastest knockout in UFC / WEC featherweight historical past – 0:08 seconds
- Tied for third-most knockdowns in UFC / WEC featherweight historical past – 9
Outdoors the Octagon, Aldo has been honored with quite a few awards throughout his profession, corresponding to being acknowledged by Sherdog as Fighter of the 12 months (2009) and the Fighters Solely World MMA Awards Fighter of the 12 months (2010). His 2014 battle towards Chad Mendes was awarded Struggle of the 12 months honors by ESPN, the World MMA Awards and MMA Junkie.
As one of the crucial well-liked fight sports activities athletes in Brazil, the movie ‘Mais Forte que o Mundo – A Historia de Jose Aldo’ is a biographical film that chronicles his life. In 2018, this movie was nominated on the 46th Worldwide Emmy Awards or finest TV Film / Mini-Collection.
A local of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, Aldo skilled in capoeira, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and luta livre (submission wrestling), excelling in all three. A proficient martial arts athlete, Jose holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and luta livre. Aldo captured the bronze medal within the 2001 World Jiu-Jitsu Championships and received gold within the 2003 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships and 2004 CBJJO World Cup. He presently resides in Rio together with his spouse, Vivianne, and two youngsters.
