Former long-time featherweight champion José Aldo will be part of the UFC’s 2023 class of Hall of Fame inductees.
Former longtime featherweight champion José Aldo will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this year. The announcement was made during the PPV broadcast of UFC 283 on Saturday.
The King of Rio’s road to the #UFCHOF
[ @JoseAldoJunior | Presented by @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/WiyNDLIe8Z
— UFC (@ufc) January 22, 2023
The only place to crown the King of Rio
@JoseAldoJunior is 2023’s first inductee into the #UFCHOF![ Presented by @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/swDxoH34xk
— UFC (@ufc) January 22, 2023
Aldo treated fans with memorable performances over the years with flawless and brutal victories over the likes of Cub Swanson, Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes, and Cub Swanson, just to name a few. And even in his post-title run, he likewise had noteworthy wins over Jeremy Stephens and Renato Moicano.
Aldo, who turns 37 this year, moved down to bantamweight in 2019 and went 3-3. His last fight took place at UFC 278 in August against Merab Dvalishvili, to whom he lost via decision. He ended his MMA career with a record of 31-8.
The Manaus native retired from MMA competition in September and signed on for his boxing debut on February 10 in Rio de Janeiro. The weight class and opponent he’s fighting have yet to be finalized.
About the author: Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments. (full bio)