Jose Aldo Bio: Career, Net Worth, and Personal Life

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If you are an MMA fan, there is no way you haven’t heard about Jose Aldo. If you are unaware of him, Brazilian mixed martial artist Jose Aldo competes professionally – he is affiliated with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

About Jose, he started fighting in the bantamweight class in 2019. He did, however, participate in the Featherweight class from 2004 to 2019, and he got notable success.

From June 2009 to April 2010, Aldo did well in his career; he won the WEC Featherweight Championship, making him the fourth ever fighter to win the title. And coincidently, he became the last fighter to have the same title because WEC merged with UFC after that. Not to add, at age 23, he became the WEC’s youngest athlete to have won a championship ever. 

After the merger of UFC and WEC, he was the first fighter who win the UFC Featherweight Championship. Not only once, but Jose has won the UFC Featherweight Championship twice.

Furthermore, Aldo had a tremendous first championship run, putting up the longest streak of successful featherweight title defenses in UFC history.

Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo with his UGC title. (Source: Instagram)

Moreover, the fighter went almost a decade undefeated after suffering his first MMA loss in 2005. As a result, Conor McGregor dealt him a second defeat in 2015.

He had 26 victories and one defeat as of 2022. He is still listed as the fourth bantamweight in the UFC rankings. The same thing about him by Sherdogs, who called him “the finest featherweight in mixed martial arts history.”

Quick Facts

Full Name José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júnior
Famous as Jose Aldo
Nickname Junior
Place of Birth Manus, Brazil
Date of Birth September 9, 1986
Age 37 Years Old
Ethnicity Brazillian
Religion Not Available
Nationality Brazillian
Father’s Name Jose Aldo da Silva Oliveira Sr.
Mother’s Name Rocilene Socorro Souza
Sibling(s) Two
Education Not Available
Height Six ft. 7 inches
Weight 61 kg
Hair Color Black
Eye Color Black
Profession
  • Mixed Martial Artist
  • Fighter
Affiliation UFC
Net Worth $15 Million
Sexual Orientation Straight
Marital Status Married
Wife Vivianne Aldo
Children Joanna Aldo
Merch Autograph
Social Media Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
Last Updated March 2024

Height of Jose Aldo: Early Life and Education

Jose Aldo and his sisters Rosilene and Josilene Souza were all born in Manaus, Brazil to parents José Aldo Sr. and Rocilene Souza. Besides, while Jose was a kid, his older sister threw the crib where Jose was kept at another sister, leaving a permanent scar on the left side of his face as the crib hit on the barbeque.

Jose’s love for bodybuilding started with his father. His father was a bodybuilder, and he used to help his father from the age of six. However, as a kid, Jose preferred football over everything and aspired to play football professionally someday, but destiny had something else for him.

He, therefore, trained on the streets, where he frequently ran with bullies who started a fight. He began learning capoeira after growing tired of being physically assaulted in arguments; this is how his journey started initially.

After that, he began practicing with his buddies on the streets, and one day while following the same routine, he caught the eye of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor. Aldo expressed his interest in learning jiu-jitsu, to which the instructor agreed, and from that day, Aldo decided to make jiu-jitsu his career.

Jose Aldo during his fight.
Jose Aldo at the UFC 163while defending his title with Chang Sung Jung. (Source: UFC Breakdown)

At seventeen, Aldo went to Rio with just a pair of clothing and no money. But he didn’t fear anything; the only thing he knew was Aldo needed to learn to fight, so he enrolled at Nova Unio academy. After some years, he even attained the rank of black belt.

However, Jose couldn’t give all his attention to his training as his financial condition was not that good, resulting in a lousy performance. But his trainers were kind enough to bring him food when they knew about his family’s situation.

Jose’s journey from having nothing to earning $15 million is so motivational that Aldo created a film named Stronger than the World.

Jose Aldo: Body Measurements

On September 9, 1986, the former UFC champion was born, making him a Virgo. Generally, Virgos are determined, sensitive, and career-oriented, and Jose is precisely the same. Currently, at 35 years old, Jose takes excellent care of his nutrition and health because he is an athlete, and an athlete must be in shape.

Jose hits the gym frequently, and due to his hard work, he is blessed with an incredibly toned body. Aldo also has a height of 5 feet 7 inches and a weight of 61 kg.

As a side note, a foot-long tattoo of his sister’s favorite Bible passage is also on him. He also has a piece of comprehensive gym equipment for his considerable professional duties.

Jose Aldo: Career

MMA Career

As mentioned earlier, at seventeen, Aldo made his MMA debut on August 10, 2004, at EcoFight 1 against Mário Bigola.

Not so surprisingly, Aldo won his first bout after landing a head kick in less than 18 seconds. The boxer quickly strolled to six victories in a row in a year. Thus, he switched to lightweight and competed against Luciano Azevedo at Jungle Fight 5. Aldo had a decent fight in the first round but was defeated in the second by a rear-naked choke.

He opted to return to featherweight after suffering the first defeat of his career. Further evidence that his choice was wise came from the fact that he started winning right away. Similar to that, he joined World Extreme Cagefighting after winning three battles.

Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo

By defeating three more opponents, he continued his impressive winning run. As a result, he qualified for a WEC Featherweight championship eliminator in which the victor advances to the title match. José delivered a double flying knee to earn the victory eight seconds into the fight’s opening round.

In WEC 44 on November 18, 2009, he thereby secured a championship bout against Mike Brown. Aldo defeated Brown more than a minute into the second round to win the championship. He then won the youngest WEC featherweight champion at just 23.

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UFC Career

By defeating three more opponents, he continued his impressive winning run. As a result, he qualified for a WEC Featherweight championship eliminator in which the victor advances to the title match. José delivered a double flying knee to earn the victory eight seconds into the fight’s opening round.

In WEC 44 on November 18, 2009, he thereby secured a championship bout against Mike Brown. Aldo defeated Brown more than a minute into the second round to win the championship. He then won the youngest WEC featherweight champion at just 23.

Jose Aldo
Pictures from Josh’s intense workout sessions. (Source: Instagram)

Furthermore, the Brazilian champion’s winning streak continued, and he was unstoppable. Similarly, he faced Chad Mendes in his sixth championship defense. He prevailed as anticipated, earning Fight of Night honors. With this victory, he has the most successful and continuous championship defense in UFC featherweight history.

However, Conor McGregor defeated the champion and could not complete his eighth successful championship defense. When he was prepared to meet Conor, he had to deal with the controversy around his pee test. In addition, the Irishman won the title fight thirteen seconds into the opening frame. After eighteen straight victories, the Brazilian UFC fighter faced his second defeat in more than ten years.

He fought Frankie Edgar again for the temporary UFC Featherweight Championship six months after losing the championship. Aldo defeated McGregor by unanimous vote to challenge for the tournament. McGregor was stripped of the featherweight championship, nevertheless, for his inconsistent style of a title defense. Junior was therefore elevated to the title of undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion.

After winning the title for a year, José’s triumph was short-lived as he lost it to Max Holloway. Aldo received his fourth fight of the Night bonus award despite losing. Nevertheless, he faced Holloway again at UFC 218 after waiting five months. Like the last match, José started well before losing steam and was eliminated in the third round.

Furthermore,

He thus failed to win back his title and suffered the fourth defeat of his career. Despite this, the boxer went on to earn two more victories following his loss to Alexander Volkanovski. He changed to bantamweight as a result of the defeat. As a result, on December 14, 2019, he competed in the bantamweight division and lost by split decision.

In addition, he came back six months later to defend his UFC Bantamweight Championship. Additionally, Petr Yan TKO’d him in the fifth round to win the fight. Likewise, on December 19, 2020, he defeated Marlon Vera for his first victory in the bantamweight class.

However, when he engaged in combat with Petr Yan, uproar ensued. When Yan knocked out José, many people thought the referee had halted the fight too late.

With opponents like Alexander Gustafsson, Daniel Cormier, Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida, and many more, Aldo has given some of the finest matches, which are even considered his career bests. About Jose’s style, he has managed to prefer hitting over grappling. 

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Awards and Accolades

  • Most successful title defense seven times.
  • The champion has the most straight title defenses (seven) in UFC featherweight history.
  • The youngest champion to have one title at just 23 years in WEC history.
  • Eight consecutive victories are the most successive in WEC history.
  • He was honored with Fight of the Night four times.
  • Aldo was awarded Performance of the Night twice.
  • Knockout of the Night Awards three times.
  • 2009’s Fighter of the Year for Sherdog.
  • Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame at Sherdog.
  • Fighter of the Year for Charles “Mask” Lewis in 2010.
  • 2001 World Jiu-Jitsu Championships, blue belt.
  • 2003 Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship Purple Belt.

Jose Aldo: Personal Life

José Aldo is married to Vivianne Aldo, a fellow boxer and longtime lover. Additionally, Mrs. Aldo is a Brazilian professional mixed martial fighter herself. Aldo’s wife also has a purple belt in jiu-jitsu and has competed twice in Muay Thai, a firm that promotes sports.

The family.
The Aldo family. (Source: Instagram)

The pair’s love story began when they met and instantly connected in a dojo. In 2005, after dating for significant years and knowing each other, this couple tied their knot.

Aldo prioritized his career, so they held off on having children until Jose rose to a particular level in his job. Finally, in 2012, the pair received their lovely daughter Joanna after he won the WEC Featherweight Championship.

Jose Aldo: Net Worth

Undoubtedly, Aldo has built immense wealth throughout his MMA and UFC career.

It is expected that ALDO HAS A NET WORTH OF $15 MILLION.

He has also racked up an estimated $10,000,000 in career earnings from his MMA fights. In addition, the fighter makes a respectable living through sponsorships and endorsements. He has endorsement agreements with Reebok, a renowned shoe and apparel brand.

Additionally, he has a personal endorsement agreement with the Brazilian soccer team Flamengo. Not to add that he has supported the squad since he was a little boy and is a passionate supporter. He says after signing, “It’s a dream that’s been achieved,”

In addition, Junior shares a luxurious home with his wife and children. Not to add, he has extensive collections of cars.

You might also want to check: Who is Dan Hooker? Early Career, UFC, and Net Worth.

Social Media Presence

The former featherweight champion of the UFC is active on some social networking sites. Additionally, he has more than 2.7 million Instagram followers. Furthermore, Aldo posts several images and videos of his wife and kids.

Similarly, he also shares photos from his illustrious championship career and other gym workouts. He also has a Twitter account, which has over 940,100 followers. Additionally, he tweets news regarding fights primarily.

Apart from that, Jose also has a Facebook page. Overall, he enjoys using social media to update his devoted followers on everyday activities. And if you want to know more about Jose, you can find a lot of information about him, which is available on the internet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the reason Jose turned down the fight with McGregor?

José said in an interview that he didn’t decline the fight. His trainer did. Furthermore, Aldo did not explain why his coach turned down the rematch.

Will Jose ever make his comeback in the UFC world?

Yes, starting in November 2021, the former UFC featherweight champion will enter the ring. He has high expectations for taking the bantamweight title by the year’s end.

How many times did Jose regain his title?

Jose has regained his championship title seven times.

 
Miss. KeCy
Miss. KeCy

Anusha K.C

Anusha K.C is a dynamic writer with a keen interest in uncovering the stories that lie beneath the surface of the sports world. Her articles offer readers a fresh perspective on athletes and sporting events, blending insightful analysis with engaging storytelling.

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Anusha's passion for sports journalism is rooted in a love of competition and a fascination with the human stories behind athletic achievement. With a background in writing and a keen eye for detail, she brings a unique perspective to her articles, capturing the excitement and emotion of sports with depth and insight.

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