Rivalries: Jose Aldo

One of the greatest competitors in Ultimate Fighting Championship history, Jose Aldo reigned supreme over the 145-pound weight class between November 2009 and December 2015. During that period, he exercised dominion as the featherweight king of World Extreme Cagefighting and later became the inaugural champion of that weight class in the UFC.

There was always an anticipation around Aldo’s fights, and he delivered more often than not. The Brazilian would let his fists and patented and perfected leg kicks do the talking when a fresh wave of fighters were getting into trash talk mode on social media or engaging in psychological warfare. “Junior” has always been a true professional and a tremendous ambassador for the sport, earning his spot in the Modern Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023. Over a year after announcing his retirement from the sport, the hunger for competition has taken charge yet again, as Aldo prepares to return to face Jonathan Martinez in the UFC 301 co-main event this Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. It has been almost five years since he competed in front of his home crowd—a factor that may have steered him in his decision to mount a comeback.

Ahead of Aldo’s looming battle with Martinez at 135 pounds, a look at some of the prominent rivalries that have made headlines throughout his career:

Urijah Faber

This was easily one of the most talked about featherweight fights in the history of the sport. The Brazilian traveled to Faber’s hometown of Sacramento, California, to paint a brutal, anguishing-to-watch, lopsided masterpiece. Aldo punished “The California Kid,” chopping at his legs with vicious malice that compromised Faber’s motion to the point that he became helpless. While Faber endured through five rounds of punishment, Aldo’s superiority over his adversary became clear in a WEC 48 performance that marked the first defense of his featherweight title.

Chad Mendes

In each instance that Mendes collided with Aldo, he was reveling in the stride of his best career runs. Prior to their first encounter at UFC 142, Mendes had developed a reputation as a menacing threat, pounding his chest and vaunting the power of an 11-fight undefeated streak. Yet it took Aldo just one round to overpower the challenge of his rival. Entangled in a clinch against the fence, Aldo fought the hands to break free and landed a vicious knee while anticipating chain wrestling from Mendes. The first-round buzzer-beater victory sent the home crowd in Rio de Janeiro into a frenzy, as Aldo jumped over the fence and lunged into a sea of jubilant fans. The next time they crossed paths, Mendes was on a five-fight winning streak with four finishes. This time, he managed to drop Aldo in the first frame but was also on the receiving end of two knockdowns. In the end, Aldo’s blitz on the feet was rewarded by the judges, as the Brazilian walked away with unanimous decision scores of 49-46 on all three judges’ scorecards.

Frankie Edgar

A copious display of leg kicks and crisp boxing from Aldo dictated his first encounter with a fellow MMA legend in Edgar, who entered their clash at UFC 156 on a two-fight losing skid. The debuting featherweight dropped his lightweight crown to Benson Henderson and failed to recapture the throne against “Smooth.” Aldo was wise to Edgar’s takedown attempts, and the judges scored the bout unanimously in favor of the Brazilian. The Las Vegas-based promotion’s bicentennial groundbreaking event would become the grand stage that hosted the rematch between the featherweight stalwarts. This time, the interim crown was up for grabs since then-reigning champion Conor McGregor was single-mindedly locked in on securing a rematch against arch-nemesis Nate Diaz at 170 pounds. The rematch between Aldo and Edgar did not play out any differently, as the Brazilian outwitted and outclassed his rival through five rounds to secure another unanimous decision.

Conor McGregor

An account of a combat sports star remains incomplete without the arc of an antagonist. In Aldo’s case, McGregor donned the fascinating yarn. The brash Irishman pushed Aldo to the brink with his psychological warfare, questioning the long-reigning champion’s skills with verbal jousting that often crossed the line, as he imposed his personality on “Junior” at every possible turn during their multi-leg world press tour. McGregor’s mind games penetrated Aldo’s shield, and the Brazilian was visibly ruffled. He carried those emotions into their blockbuster clash at UFC 194. The result? “Notorious” cracked Aldo with a counter left hook in 13 seconds. It remains the fastest win in a championship fight in promotional history.

Max Holloway

It was simply the passing of the guard each time Aldo faced Holloway. The time-honored fighter simply could not keep up with the ferocity of a keen upstart with momentum propelling him forward. Both encounters in 2017 witnessed Holloway’s pressure mounting on Aldo, who eventually wilted under the heat poured on by the Hawaiian. He succumbing to TKO losses in the third rounds of their UFC 212 and UFC 218 UFC 218 clashes.