Jose Aldo appeared during the main card of UFC Rio, as the UFC granted him the ability to make one more entrance into the Octagon as he laid the gloves down in the center.
This formalized the retirement of Aldo, who entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023 before a three-fight comeback between 2024 and 2025.
Aldo was joined by his family in the Octagon.
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Jose Aldo Lays Gloves Down In Octagon At UFC Rio To Formalize Retirement
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Aldo made his professional MMA debut in 2004, winning his first seven fights in a row. After a loss in 2005, Aldo would go on a longer win streak, collecting 18 consecutive victories between May 2006 and December 2015.
Aldo defeated Mike Brown at WEC 44 for the WEC featherweight title, going on to defend the belt against Urijah Faber and Manny Gamburyan. Aldo then joined the UFC following the WEC merger, starting out his time in the UFC as the inaugural UFC featherweight champion.
Aldo defended the UFC title seven consecutive times, defeating the likes of Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung-Jung, before losing the title to Conor McGregor at UFC 196. He’d then defeat Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 for the interim championship before being promoted back to undisputed champion — only to lose the belt to Max Holloway at UFC 212.
Aldo then dropped to bantamweight and fought Petr Yan for the then-vacant title at UFC 251, getting finished in the fifth round. Aldo’s career seemed to end after a loss to current bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278.
In 2023, Aldo fought in a pair of boxing bouts, battling Jeremy Stephens to a draw and scoring a finish of Esteban Gabriel Espindola. Aldo then fought three times for the UFC, defeating Jonathan Martinez before losses to Mario Bautista and Aiemann Zahabi.
