José Aldo: MMA Legend To Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame



by FARUK IMAMOVIC

José Aldo: MMA Legend To Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame
José Aldo: MMA Legend To Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame

As the UFC 283 event unfolded, one of the most significant announcements made was the inclusion of MMA legend, José Aldo, into the UFC Hall of Fame. The Brazilian fighter, who made his last appearance in August 2022, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame's "Modern Wing" in July of this year.

A Career of Dominance

Aldo's MMA career was nothing short of extraordinary. He became a two-time UFC featherweight champion and defended the belt a total of seven times. Prior to that, he also held the title in the WEC, which later merged with the UFC.

He holds the record for the most title defenses in the UFC featherweight division and at one point in his career, had a 25-1 win-loss ratio. Until the end of 2015, Aldo was considered to be unbeatable. That all changed when he faced Conor McGregor, who defeated him in just 13 seconds.

This defeat marked the beginning of a decline in Aldo's career, as he went on to lose six more fights before retiring from MMA. Aldo will be remembered for his brutal low kicks, which he used to devastating effect in the early stages of his career.

He defeated a number of notable fighters including Uriah Faber, Frankie Edgar, Kenny Florian, Marlon Vera, and Chad Mendes twice. The second victory over Mendes, in 2014, is considered to be one of the best fights of the year.

"José Aldo is the greatest featherweight of all time," said UFC President Dana White. "From WEC to UFC, José helped us build the sport of MMA and the UFC brand, as well as change the perception of the smaller weight classes and what they could accomplish inside the Octagon.

It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer."

The "Modern Wing" of the Hall of Fame is reserved for fighters who debuted after the introduction of unified MMA rules or after the UFC 28 event in November 2000.

José Aldo will be the tenth fighter to be included in this group, joining the likes of Forrest Griffin, B.J. Penn, Uriah Faber, Rondi Rousey, Michael Bisping, Rashda Evans, Georges St-Pierre, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier. An impressive list of fighters, to say the least.