Any mixed martial artist would want to have this resume: winner of 24 out of 25 professional bouts, 14 finishes via knockout and eight defenses of a linear title.
These sound like terms that would describe an MMA start. Unfortunately, they describe Jose Aldo. The man who is currently the longest-reigning of all the organization’s champions may also be the one with the hardest time getting over with the fans.
Stardom in mixed martial arts is a fleeting brass ring that few have been able to grab. Georges St. Pierre and Ronda Rousey stand as two current examples who have truly pushed their personality to mainstream opportunities. Aldo, a man who has the potential to create spectacular highlight reel moments, seems to have regressed in appeal with each performance.
Jeff Wagenheim of Sports Illustrated made mention of the issue in an article this past August, in which he spoke of the need for more buzz as UFC 179 approaches.
It’s understandable that Aldo would feel the need to drum up interest. Even as one of the UFC’s nine champions, even as the winner of 17 straight fights, including eight defenses of his UFC/WEC belt, Aldo has not shown the kind of star power that translates into dollar signs. He’s headlined a PPV only three times before, most recently with last summer’s defense against Chan Sung Jung at UFC 163. That pay card reportedly sold to only 160,000 homes, abysmal for a title fight.
As mentioned, Aldo has headlined three pay-per-view events for the UFC, and none have had spectacular buyrate figures. UFC 156, when he faced fan-favorite Frankie Edgar, was the only event to break 330,000 buys (via MMA Payout). So what is it that is keeping Aldo from becoming a star within this sport?
The first point to bring up is the fact that Aldo does not speak English fluently, which has been a hurdle for many foreign athletes in the past. Steve Borchardt of MMA Mania pushed the point in a February piece he wrote about the potential of a bout against Anthony Pettis.
“Seeing how Aldo doesn’t speak English, he’s never going to able to pull a Chael Sonnen and reach the next level of stardom with his mouth,” Borchardt wrote. “That leaves him only one option: getting over with the public the old fashioned way and letting his actions in the cage do his talking for him.”
This brings the conversation to the second point, which is a little more difficult to cite as a “mistake” on the champion’s part.
Since his blistering run of six straight stoppages in a little more than a year while under the WEC banner, Aldo has finished three men in four years. The mainstream MMA fans now thirst for finishes and fighters that are not delivering do not garner the same type of attention.
It does not matter that Aldo is defeating the best men that 145 has to offer; fans want finishes and he continues to win by decision. It is a sad fact in today’s version of the sport that has hurt Aldo’s overall ability to draw attention. While some of the blame should lie with the UFC’s efforts to promote him, the onus to become a star now falls on the fighter’s shoulders.
Jose Aldo should be a star in the world of mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, the competitor has not reached that second level that carries these fighters into opportunities beyond the cage while translating into large paydays for the company. Perhaps UFC 179 can truly become the breakout point that both he and the UFC need to launch him into a mainstream personality.
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