Issue 071
January 2011
One ruthless striking game, holstered next to unreal speed, thrust Jose Aldo to the WEC featherweight title in November 2009. He’s held on to it despite challenges from Urijah Faber and Manny Gamburyan. From January 2011 Aldo’s belt becomes the UFC featherweight title when the two Zuffa-owned promotions merge.
STATISTICS
Name Jose Aldo
Age 24
Height 5’ 7”
Category Featherweight
Record 18-1-0
12 (T)KOs (66.67%)
2 Submissions (11.11%)
4 Decisions (22.22%)
Fighting Style Muay Thai
Fights out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Active since 2004
Operating out of a traditional left-foot-forward stance, the crux of Aldo’s attack are his leg kicks. Through impressive speed and technique he deals considerable damage and backs up his opponents (often to the fence) where he likes to punish with highly accurate combinations. Those who dare to avoid the storm by diving into the pocket are met with a powerful knee to the head or torso. Notably, Aldo (whose favorite fighter is the leg kick-hungry Pedro Rizzo) rarely targets the body or head with said kicks. Focusing on his opponent’s lead leg allows him to restrict their ease of forward motion. It also forces his foe off balance, making them unable to defend properly against a speedy strike onslaught.
The only way fighters have had any success against the Nova União and Black House-trained champion is through early aggression. Not allowing Aldo to dictate the pace, take the center of the ring, and ‘bully’ his competition removes the champ from his comfort zone. Manny Gamburyan tried as much at the opening of his second round with Aldo, though by then the ‘Anvil’s’ offense had already been decoded.
Aldo’s last weapon: takedown defense. He’s able to slip away from most attempts with ease, whether from distance or a body lock. In the few instances Aldo has fought on the ground he’s retained the upper position masterfully; he constantly adjusts between mount and knee ride to efficiently dominate his opponent’s posture. However, with his only loss coming via rear naked choke (in 2005) does the key to Aldo’s defeat lie in getting the featherweight champ on his back? It’s unlikely, as he’s a BJJ black belt.
Adaptability
Aldo is remarkably astute at capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes and tendencies. Look at his most recent title defense against Manny Gamburyan at WEC 51 in September. Aware that when in danger Gamburyan ducked, Aldo used a full-force uppercut to get the finish after rocking the challenger.
In other instances the Brazilian has observed a fighter’s defenses mid match, then attacked with complex bespoke combinations in order to neutralize him.
Speed
Aldo’s ability to move in and out of position and danger, along with seriously fast strikes, make him a tough opponent to attack. Aldo stifled Mike Brown’s power by darting inside his range, landing and then retreating without giving the then-champ time to plant his feet and unleash.
Leg Kicks
Urijah Faber can attest to the efficiency of Jose Aldo’s leg kicks. Their WEC 48 pay-per-view meeting left the ‘California Kid’ barely able to stand. Nearly all of Aldo’s WEC foes have had their evening ruined by the Brazilian’s rapid, balance-destroying, and movement-inhibiting leg kicks. They destroy balance, inhibit movement, and usually set up Aldo’s next ‘W’.
CAREER SNAPSHOT
2004
Commences his MMA career on an understated EcoFight card in Brazil with a head/soccer kick knockout inside the first 18 seconds. He was a startling 17 years old.
2005
Fights six times in the year. His journey (which goes via two events in England) starts with five wins but closes out the year with his first and only loss: a second-round rear naked choke to Luciano Azevedo.
2008
Debuts for the WEC by TKO’ing Alexandre Nogueira in June, and then does the same in November to a pre-TUF Jonathan Brookins, elevating his record to 12-1.
2009
Makes a statement by capturing the WEC featherweight title with an emphatic TKO against the then-dominant champion Mike Brown.
