Jose Aldo explains why he wanted former president of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro to stay in his Orlando home.
Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is proud of hosting former president of Brazil in his Orlando home, in the United States. Following some backlash from the public who do not agree with his political views, the Brazilian explained the reason why he decided to ex-head of state.
In a conversation on Flow Podcast, one of the biggest podcasts in Brazil (transcribed by Ag Fight), Aldo explained that he lets lots of people stay at his home. In fact, the former champion says he has hosted several celebrities before opening the doors to Bolsonaro.
“I’ve had that house for a while now. Now I have two more in the United States. It’s thematic house. It’s about fighting, there are belts. I lend the house to everyone. The house has got nine bedrooms, it’s big. A lot of people stay there. Actors, singers, athletes and non-athletes. Friends of mine. The guy (Bolsonaro) called me and I said ‘Stay at my house’.
“At the same time, there’s the Minions room,” Aldo said. “Everybody will want to see if it’s left or right wing. I want to put a sign there that reads ‘The president of Brazil stayed here’. There’s a lot of that going on in America. In Las Vegas, I like to stay in the bedroom where Elvis stayed.”
Despite supporting the views of a far-right president, who is known for supporting the return of a military dictatorship in Brazil, as well as racist, homophobic and sexist speech, among other issues, Aldo says the main reason he let Bolsonaro stay in his house isn’t about politics. In fact, Jose claims it was merely a business decision.
“The country is divided. Everyone on the other side will criticize me. I wasn’t thinking about that, though. There’s a good side and a bad side to everything you do in your life. The street is always crowded now. I’ve been getting so many messages from people who want to stay at the house. I’m sorry, but some people just think small. They have no eye for business.”
Jose Aldo retired from MMA in August 2022, following a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishivili. During his career, Brazilian became known as the greatest featherweight champion in UFC history, with seven title defenses under his belt. Among his wins are notable names such as Frankie Edgar, Chan Sung Jung, Chad Mendes and Ricardo Lamas.