Last night at UFC Rio, fans fixed their eyes on the cage, eagerly awaiting hometown hero Charles Oliveira’s clash. But then, Dana White and Co. stole the spotlight with a surprise no one saw coming — giving the ‘King of Rio’ one final walkout in front of his home crowd. UFC Rio erupted like a carnival of Brazilian pride, marking the promotion’s 13th visit to Rio de Janeiro — and it delivered on every expectation. As the night progressed, it reached its emotional peak when 39-year-old Jose Aldo stepped into the spotlight during the main card. The organization honored ‘Junior’ as he made his signature entrance to the song “Run This Town,” carrying a pair of UFC gloves.

At the center of the Octagon, the Brazilian placed his gloves down, officially retiring from the sport for the last time. The gesture echoed through the arena, stirring memories of a career that inspired generations and solidified his place as one of Brazil’s all-time greats. Yet despite his monumental achievements, Aldo has struggled to capture mainstream attention, with many today remembering him chiefly for the infamous 13-second knockout by Conor McGregor. In honor of Jose Aldo, here are three reasons why the ‘King of Rio’ remains one of the most underrated champions in MMA history.

Unmatched featherweight dominance: how Jose Aldo ruled the UFC

New fans might not fully grasp the sheer dominance Jose Aldo commanded at his peak. Long before stepping into the UFC, Aldo ruled as the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) featherweight champion, feared for his devastating leg kicks and surgical striking. He claimed the WEC featherweight title in emphatic fashion at WEC 44 in 2009, putting the head coach of ATT, Mike Brown, to sleep. In the second round, ‘Junior’ unleashed a relentless barrage of punches from back mount, ending Brown’s reign and announcing himself as a force to be reckoned with.

From that moment, the MMA gods seemed to guide Jose Aldo’s path as a champion. He defended his title consecutively against elite competition, first outlasting Urijah Faber in a decision — the second decision victory of his career — and then dispatching Manny Gamburyan with a picture-perfect knockout. When WEC merged with the UFC, ‘Junior’ seamlessly became the organization’s inaugural featherweight champion. He faced his first UFC challenger in a grueling five-round war against Mark Hominick at UFC 129, where he reinforced his reputation as a relentless, precise striker in a toe-to-toe battle.

José Aldo’s meteoric rise in the UFC read like a masterclass in dominance. He tore through Kenny Florian, left Chad Mendes reeling with a devastating knee knockout, and halted former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in his tracks. Then, he floored ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung with a fourth-round KO and showcased surgical precision and counter-striking brilliance against Ricardo Lamas to claim a hard-fought decision victory. Aldo even defeated Chad Mendes in a rematch, further cementing his stranglehold over the featherweight division.

Over the course of his WEC and UFC reigns, Jose Aldo defended his title nine times, etching his name among MMA’s elite. But then, the seemingly unstoppable champion met an abrupt and shocking end at UFC 194. In just 13 seconds, the Irishman Conor McGregor toppled ‘Junior’, shattering his 10-year unbeaten streak. Even today, that stunning defeat still resonates, remembered as one of the most monumental upsets in MMA history.

Defensive mastery and technical brilliance that set Aldo apart

Critics doubted Jose Aldo’s career after Conor McGregor floored him, but ‘Junior’ proved them wrong. In July 2016, he returned to the Octagon at UFC 200 to face Frankie Edgar in a rematch for the interim featherweight belt while McGregor remained inactive. Then, later that November, when McGregor captured the lightweight title without defending his 145-pound belt, the UFC stripped him of the featherweight crown and crowned Aldo as the undisputed champion once again.

Although the Brazilian built a strong foundation on the mat through multiple Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu championships, he gained renown in MMA for his knockout power. He first showcased this lethal combination in his WEC title bout against Mike Brown, using his defensive mastery to secure victory and mark Brown as his sixth WEC career victim.

The Brazilian then further displayed his technical brilliance against Chad Mendes at UFC 142, neutralizing Mendes’ relentless pressure with elite takedown defense and precise counter-striking, ultimately knocking him out in the first round. Against Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo controlled the Octagon with exceptional movement and precise distance management, outmaneuvering the former lightweight champion to earn a decisive victory.

The former 145lbs champ continued to demonstrate his defensive prowess against aggressive fighters such as Chan Sung Jung and Mark Hominick. These battles clearly showcased his tactical mindset and strategic mastery—an approach that still guides today’s generation of UFC fighters. And recently, UFC fans revisited his defensive genius in a Q&A session, highlighting why ‘Junior’s Octagonal artistry continues to command respect.

Consistency and longevity in the unforgiving game

After Conor McGregor famously blemished Jose Aldo’s UFC legacy, the once untouchable “King of Rio” became a more vulnerable, human figure in the eyes of the contenders. In the wake of that shocking defeat, Aldo rebounded the following year in a rematch against Frankie Edgar. Yet, he eventually lost his featherweight crown to Max Holloway at UFC 212 and again in their rematch at UFC 218. Despite these setbacks, Aldo continued to compete at the sport’s highest level, taking on dominant forces and rising stars under Dana White’s banner, including elite opponents like Alexander Volkanovski.

Later, Jose Aldo shifted down to bantamweight, challenging rising contenders such as Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan. Though he fell short, enduring three consecutive losses, the UFC renewed its faith in him, signing him to a new eight-fight contract in June 2019 ahead of his bout with Volkanovski. This deal allowed the Brazilian to chart his eventual retirement, which he had planned for the end of 2019. “I had already planned to stop when I was 30 years old and begin something else. I’m at a point where I have to make a decision, and nothing is going to change my mind,” he said.

Yet Jose Aldo’s fighting spirit refused to fade. In his later bantamweight journey, he staged a comeback, racking up three consecutive wins before falling to reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in his sixth bout at 135 pounds. This marked the moment ‘Junior’ finally set down his gloves in 2022. “This is a guy that from the WEC to the UFC, helped build the sport, this brand, and Brazil for us. So, we love him and we always will,” Dana White said at a media scrum, honoring Aldo’s monumental contributions to MMA.

During that period, the Brazilian also stepped into the boxing ring three times, only to return to the UFC in 2024, ending his brief retirement. While he secured a win against Jonathan Martinez, subsequent losses to Mario Bautista and Aiemann Zahabi ultimately convinced Aldo to retire for good. Although Jose Aldo had a final run with a 1-2 record, everyone will forever remember his career for its consistency, longevity, and the enduring imprint he left on the sport.