‘The best featherweight of all-time’: UFC’s Jose Aldo will get emotional sendoff in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO — In 2022, the Brazilian MMA community paid tribute to the good Jose Aldo, who had unceremoniously introduced his retirement from MMA to transition to boxing. He would return to the UFC cage two years later to renew his profession, and that cycle has come to an finish earlier this month in Montreal, Canada.

Jose Aldo Junior, who first entered the UFC cage in Toronto, once more travelled to the Nice White North for his remaining chapter. In instances when veterans Anthony Smith and Michelle Waterson bought emotional in-cage ship offs, it felt bizarre to see a legend like Aldo lay down his gloves with out a correct tribute.

Seven days later, his Nova Uniao friends, led by coach Andre Pederneiras, ready a well-deserved tribute within the metropolis he was topped king.

“It’s fairly emotional for me,” Aldo stated whereas combating again tears. “But it surely’s the regulation of life, too.”

Sitting on a sofa on the enter of an octagon at Higher Enviornment, Nova Uniao’s coaching heart in Rio de Janeiro, Aldo heard lovely phrases from teammates, pals, coaches, spouse and daughter. A video tribute that would have been aired on the large screens of the Centre Bell was as an alternative proven to some dozen closed ones.

“I’m very emotional — because the combat, actually,” Aldo’s spouse Viviane Pereira stated, with Jose Aldo III on her arms with Joana sitting by Aldo’s ft. “I’m with Aldo for 20 years now. I bought to dwell all of it, from the primary loss to Luciano Azevedo over in Manaus. I bear in mind he was battling excessive fever, however we had no cash at residence. We lived within the favela and he stated, ‘I’ve to combat as a result of I would like that cash.’ After that, he stated, ‘I misplaced as a result of I went after the cash. From today, I’ll by no means chase cash.’ And that’s the way it was accomplished. From that day, we by no means fought for cash, however cash got here for us.”

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Guilherme Cruz, MMA Preventing

“We’ve achieved a lot extra,” she continued. “There was a film made after him, of his life. Two lovely youngsters we’ve. A profession with highs and lows. Solely I do know what we went by at residence. Solely I do know the painful half. I protected him from every part. All he needed to do was combat. All the remaining, the issues and any difficulties, it was as much as ‘Dede’ [Pederneiras] and I. … Most individuals solely see the great half, however it was very laborious to get the place he’s bought.

“And I’m happy with you,” Pereira stated whereas taking a look at Aldo’s teary eyes. “You haven’t any thought how proud I’m. To see the place you got here, to look again at that skinny child I met and right now conquered the world and the individuals.”

Pereira was in tears. Joana, who turns 13 in July, was too emotional to say a couple of works on the mic.

Pederneiras, normally a stoic determine known as “father” by Aldo, had a tough time discovering the best phrases to explain his most well-known protégé.

“We’re right here right now to complete a really profitable profession that the entire Brazil is aware of. Truly, that the entire world is aware of,” Pederneiras stated. “Many victories, some defeats, and an absurd success — particularly if you look again on the child that bought right here. It’s laborious. Right this moment we full a few years of laborious work, struggling, and pleasure. What most individuals see is the day of the combat, the inexperienced or purple on Sherdog, however nobody is aware of the struggling up till that second. Not solely Aldo, I feel each MMA fighters goes by that. However we’re speaking a few man that got here right here with the objective to compete in jiu-jitsu and over the course of that journey we switched deal with the crew to MMA. We had a dream. A dream for extra. We weren’t glad being solely jiu-jitsu champions.”

Aldo made the transition to MMA in a time the place Nova Uniao already had extra established names within the featherweight division. Wagnney Fabiano, a jiu-jitsu nice and brother of Leonardo Santos, grew to become the IFL champion earlier than Aldo joined WEC. It was extra pure that he would have the desire in a run for the belt, however Aldo’s phenomenal run was simply too unimaginable to disregard.

Alexandre Franca Nogueira, Jonathan Brookins, Rolando Perez, Chris Mickle, Cub Swanson. All of them crumbled in entrance of that knockout machine from Manaus. Mike Brown, the person who dethroned WEC star Urijah Faber, had no reply for Aldo. He was a child destined for glory

The Jose Aldo Period was on. For a complete decade, that 5’7” man who moved to Rio de Janeiro to pursue a dream of turning into a soccer participant would rule the world with heavy punches and unstoppable leg kicks.

And he was assured. Earlier than featherweights had been even allowed within the UFC, and earlier than he even bought the belt in WEC, Aldo knew he was nice.

“I bear in mind in the future he gave an interview, when Georges St-Pierre was the person, and he was requested who was the very best fighter on the planet. He stated, ‘I’m the very best on the planet,’” teammate Thales Leites stated. “I noticed that interview and was like, ‘Are you loopy?’ And he simply stated again, ‘Properly, I’m the very best.’ He didn’t hesitate. ‘I’m the very best on the planet. I’m telling you that.’ That’s confidence, and also you noticed the outcome.”

“There have been web boards on the time and folks bought throughout me,” Aldo stated of the net backlash. “I used to be closely criticized, individuals stated I used to be conceited, however I stated I used to be [the best]. ‘Make certain that those that are throwing stones at me, tomorrow they are going to say I’m the very best.’ I had that confidence from day one. I used to be capable of conquer every part I got down to do in my life.”

Aldo was the arrow, Pederneiras was the bow, and that duo was simply too rattling good. Aldo replicated the WEC success below the brighter lights of the UFC, an unmatched rise with seven title defenses within the new promotion. Including to his earlier three title victories on the blue canvas, it’s an unparalleled feat that those that succeeded him failed to duplicate.

“It’s already laborious to grow to be champion of the world’s greatest group. To carry the title is even more durable,” Pederneiras stated. “You grow to be the goal. The entire division is after you. In case you blink twice, they see it. You progress two steps to the left aspect each time you throw a strike, all of them see it. Each opponent or extra ready than the opposite to catch you. It’s not simple to remain [at the top] for such a very long time. After 10 years, we had a loss [to Conor McGregor] that would have been a win. He threw a punch and the man got here 1000’s of a second first, and that determined the combat.

“However he stored believing, and have become champion once more. It’s inconceivable to not say Aldo is the best featherweight of all-time. And endlessly will probably be. Even when somebody manages to surpass what he’s accomplished, he was the primary.”

Revisionists might disagree on day, refute all they need, however Aldo’s identify will go down in historical past as a delusion. Over the shoulders of his individuals he reigned, the King of Rio.

“There’s nothing left to be stated,” Pederneiras stated. “You may have right here in entrance of you a person that got here from nothing, and look the place he’s bought. … Few managed to do what he’s accomplished. Few will do. To have a superchampion with such a protracted reign, solely the king of the individuals.”