In 2004, Jose Aldo switched from competing against one-hit wonders like Mario Bigola for minor EcoFight events to competing against the Frankie Edgars of the world for the biggest promotion on the face of earth.
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When characterizing a fighter’s abilities or accomplishments in the realm of mixed martial arts, phrases like “pound for pound” and “legend” are frequently abused. But when it comes to Jose Aldo, there is no better way to describe a real pound-for-pound legend.
When Aldo won eighteen straight fights from 2005 to 2015, he held one of the most impressive unbeaten streaks this sport has ever seen. He also successfully defended his featherweight title nine times in a row across the WEC and UFC.
Aldo recently requested to be released from his UFC contract due to his retirement. In addition to the Brazilian’s spectacular title run, Aldo’s fierce technical prowess and unwavering commitment to defense elevated the sport of mixed martial arts as a whole.
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Aldo was slated to face American wrestler Chad Mendes in the main event of Zuffa’s post-UFC 134 comeback to the Brazilian market. But soon after the battle began, it was obvious that Mendes needed to move the action into the domain of grappling. Mendes methodically worked for takedowns as Aldo furiously tried to protect as he pressed the then-champion into the fence. But after receiving a few warnings from the referee, Aldo managed to free Mendes from his hold before circling around to execute a wonderfully timed counter-knee.
Before UFC 156, there was a lot of anticipation for Edgar to make his long-awaited debut at 145 pounds, setting the stage for an instant classic. Although Aldo always had good footwork and feints, his concentration on the jab, especially when used defensively, allowed the featherweight champion to securely control the tempo and restrict Edgar’s targets.
At the time, Font was a large, dangerous bantamweight who was on a four-fight winning run, and Aldo was a seasoned veteran facing yet another five-round contest. Aldo’s endurance and pace had previously been questioned in prior fights, so Font’s volume of strikes posed a serious concern. In spite of being out-hit 149 to 86, Aldo unquestionably delivered the more potent blows in each round, according to the statistics. Similar to the aforementioned Duran, Aldo’s experience and fight IQ enabled him to land powerful blows and successfully negate Font’s lead hand throughout the whole contest.
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