Back when Jose Aldo was a rising prospect in the WEC, it was obvious he was destined for greatness.He destroyed five opponents in a row, knocking all of them out in devastating fashion, including his now infamous eight-second knockout of Cub Swanson wi…
Back when Jose Aldo was a rising prospect in the WEC, it was obvious he was destined for greatness.
He destroyed five opponents in a row, knocking all of them out in devastating fashion, including his now infamous eight-second knockout of Cub Swanson with a double flying knee.
In November of 2009 he earned his title shot against the champion, Mike Brown, and knocked out the champion in just over a minute into the second round.
It seemed like Aldo was unstoppable.
In his first title defense, Aldo would face former champ Urijah Faber. For five rounds Aldo battered Faber with leg kicks to pick up the first decision win of his WEC career.
Fans were confused why Aldo, a renowned finisher, took Faber to a decision when he could have easily pounced on his downed opponent multiple times.
His next and final WEC title defense was against Manvel Gamburyan. In just over a minute and a half into the second round Aldo connected with a perfect punch that sent Gamburyan out for the night. It seemed like the Faber fight was just a fluke.
Then came Mark Hominick.
Aldo looked a mess in his first UFC title defense against Hominick. He fought sluggishly, unable to make combinations and was visibly exhausted as the fight progressed. Hominick even managed to put Aldo on his back in the final frame and unleashed relentless ground and pound for near the whole five minutes.
Aldo managed to survive and retain his belt, but he was far from impressive.
The same can be said about his defense against Kenny Florian.
Again Aldo looked horrible. He was visibly exhausted early into the fight, and he looked sickly as he fought. Aldo performed better against Florian, but nothing like the dominant knockout artist fans had come to know.
Aldo claimed the WEC title in 2009 when he was just 23 years old. It’s possible and likely that he has grown since then. He also looks as if he has become more muscular.
It’s possible that Aldo’s recent poor performances are simply because making the featherweight limit has become too difficult for him and he has to cut more weight than he used to.
Aldo is still one of the best fighters in the UFC, but he shouldn’t be fighting at featherweight anymore. He’s simply gotten too big to cut the weight and remain healthy and strong for fight night.
If Aldo continues to fight at featherweight, it’s only a matter of time until the weight cut becomes too much and he can no longer fight effectively.
At 145 pounds, Aldo is the UFC’s most beatable champion.
In eight days the UFC returns to Brazil, where featherweight champion Jose Aldo defends his championship at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Aldo (20-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has yet to lose under the Zuffa and is looking to keep the streak alive against top-conte…
In eight days the UFC returns to Brazil, where featherweight champion Jose Aldo defends his championship at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
Aldo (20-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has yet to lose under the Zuffa and is looking to keep the streak alive against top-contender Chad Mendes (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the event’s headliner.
Mendes is the division’s top wrestler turned mixed martial artist, which stylistically could pose a problem for a champion considering that’s likely the only weakness in his game. However, Aldo believes that he has discovered the key to defeating Mendes.
“I found a few things in his game I can exploit,” Aldo said during a recent UFC 142 media call. “I’ve trained very hard for this fight; I never underestimate any fighter and want to remain as champion.”
In order to remain champion he’ll have to accomplish a feat that 11 other men have failed to do and that’s defeat the talented Mendes.
Aldo has the opportunity to do so in his home country as the main attraction and while he’s fully aware that his dreams are coming true, he’ll wait until post-fight to let his success sink in.
“This is where I started, just with dreams and hopes, and now I am back as a champion. It is a great feeling, but I will try to think about it after the fight. I still have to train hard and win this fight.”
Mendes marks Aldo’s eleventh fight under the Zuffa banner dating back to his WEC debut in 2008 and he’s earned decisive victories over Kenny Florian, Urijah Faber and Mike Brown to merely name a few.
Add in the fact that 60 percent of the 25-year-old champion’s career victories have come by knockout, it’s safe to say that he’s on the verge of stardom in Brazil.
“There’s more attention and it is a great pleasure to defend my title in my home country,” Aldo said. “It means everything for me to come back fighting in my country as a champion.”
For additional information on Aldo’s UFC 142 title defense, follow him on Twitter.
Jose Aldo is a name that strikes terror into the hearts of many featherweights in the world. He is the No.1 ranked featherweight in the world, with a record of 20-1 (12 KOs), and is the former and last WEC champion as well as the current UFC Featherwei…
Jose Aldo is a name that strikes terror into the hearts of many featherweights in the world. He is the No.1 ranked featherweight in the world, with a record of 20-1 (12 KOs), and is the former and last WEC champion as well as the current UFC Featherweight champion.
Aldo burst on the scene on June 1, 2008, where he ran through Alexandre Franca Nogueira, a top prospect in the WEC who was debuting at the time. Aldo’s beatdown led to Nogueira’s release from the WEC and the climb of Aldo continued. Aldo went on a five-fight winning streak, with all fights ending in brutal fashion before challenging the champion at the time, Mike Thomas Brown.
As a fighter with nothing to lose, Aldo went into the fight as a slight underdog against the champ who had beaten Faber twice and arm-triangled Leonard Garcia. Aldo went on to dominate the powerful wrestler as Aldo used his stand-up and Jiu-Jitsu game to take Brown’s back and finish him via strikes in the second round. He retained the belt during the remaining lifespan of the WEC.
Before the WEC was merged with the UFC, Aldo successfully defended his belt against Faber and Manny Gamburyan. In the Faber fight Aldo worked a game plan to take Faber’s legs out, and it worked incredibly for him as Faber could barely walk after the fourth round.
Aldo seemed hesitant to finish Faber as he could have on several occasions in the final two frames of their fight. He silenced critics about not finishing Faber by turning the lights off of Manny Gamburyan in the second round, thus ending his reign in the WEC and beginning a new run in the UFC.
Aldo was off for a while after the Gamburyan fight with back problems which postponed a fight with Josh Grispi for his first UFC title defense. Number one contenders aren’t always guaranteed in this sport as Grispi was bested on New Year’s in 2011 by Dustin Poirier.
This opened the door for Mark Hominick who, with a victory over George Roop, was given the chance to fight for the belt.
On April 30, 2011 in front of 55,000 fans in Toronto, Canada, Jose Aldo was set to make his UFC debut as he defended his UFC belt in his opponent’s backyard. Many fans were expecting to see Aldo make short work of Hominick as Aldo was touted as a top pound-for-pound fighter.
Instead we saw Aldo dominate his opponent with great Muay Thai mixing in his take-downs with precision that would make GSP proud. Aldo’s cardio betrayed him as he was completely dominated by Hominick when he was put on his back in the fifth round. Aldo had done enough to win but he revealed a kink in his armor.
Aldo had another defense in 2011; this time was against two-time lightweight contender Kenny Florian who made the drop for a chance to finally wear UFC gold. Aldo again fought a conservative fight as he bested Florian by decision and sent him back to lightweight.
Jose Aldo is an amazing fighter with some of the best stand-up in the game, good wrestling and a good ground game. He is a BJJ black belt and trains with the Nova Uniao team in Brazil where great fighters like Marlo Sandro, Diego Nunes, Eduardo Dantes, among others are his training partners.
The scariest attribute Jose Aldo had was that go-for-broke killer instinct he showed in his fights in the WEC. Who can forget that eight-second KO of Cub Swanson with a double flying knee.
Since he has entered the UFC, Aldo has been fighting more conservative and is fighting to win. There is nothing wrong with that approach as welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has employed a similar tactic.
The downfall is fans love fighters who go out and finish fights. GSP has received plenty of criticism along with fighters like Jon Fitch for playing it safe, so to speak. This hurts Aldo’s marketability as he isn’t as popular as the Canadian superstar.
Aldo is being introduced to the casual fans in the UFC, and performances like the one against Mark Hominick won’t reassure his new audiences of why he is considered a Top 5 pound-for-pound fighter.
Aldo has a tall task in front of him come January 14, 2012, as he will headline UFC 142 in his native Brazil against Team Alpha Male’s Chad Mendes, who is a man who can very well dethrone Aldo and probably make the Brazilian’s riot with an Aldo loss.
Aldo will have to put on a vintage performance and finish Mendes off in front of his countrymen to establish his supremacy over the division and take a role similar to Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre and Jon Jones as an unbeatable force in his respected division.
Mendes will be his toughest test to date as he is a powerful wrestler with good top control. Nonetheless, Aldo has the skills to end this fight within three rounds and end it in devastating fashion. One can only hope that his fear of losing the belt does not interfere with his ability to finish the fight.
This article originally featured at Hurtsbad MMA. Follow us on Twitter @HurtsBad
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will defend his title against Chad Mendes at UFC 142. Aldo is coming off his second defense of the UFC featherweight title against Kenny Florian. Florian gave Aldo a challenge, but he didn’t have what it took t…
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will defend his title against Chad Mendes at UFC 142.
Aldo is coming off his second defense of the UFC featherweight title against Kenny Florian. Florian gave Aldo a challenge, but he didn’t have what it took to get the job done.
Chad Mendes will be one of the toughest challenges of Aldo’s career. Mendes is 11-0 coming into this fight and brings with him an elite wrestling base. He has no problem putting it on display, as he has wrestled his way to four unanimous decision victories in a row.
Mendes is one of the best wrestlers Aldo will have faced, and it’ll be interesting to see how these two styles clash.
Here are five bold predictions for UFC 142’s main event.
Filed under: UFCChad Mendes knows he’s an underdog who will face a hostile crowd when he fights UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the main event at UFC 142. But Mendes is brimming with confidence at his chances of taking home the belt.
Chad Mendes knows he’s an underdog who will face a hostile crowd when he fights UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the main event at UFC 142. But Mendes is brimming with confidence at his chances of taking home the belt.
“I have a good game plan and I’m confident that I’m going to do it — I’m excited,” Mendes said Wednesday. “I think Jose has all the pressure on his shoulders. He’s the one fighting in front of his home crowd. He’s the one who has the belt. I’m the underdog everyone is overlooking, and I’m confident that the things I’m good at are what’s needed to beat him. I’m feeling confident going into this fight.”
That’s not to say Mendes doesn’t think highly of Aldo as an opponent. Mendes knows that Aldo is 20-1 in his MMA career, and that Aldo has gone 10-0 while dominating all ten opponents since leaving his native Brazil and making his North American debut in 2008. But Mendes thinks he has the right skill set to be the one to finally solve the puzzle of Aldo.
“I don’t think Jose has any holes or cracks in his game,” Mendes said. But he quickly added, “I feel the same way about my game. I don’t have any holes.”
Mendes has been working with his friend and training partner Urijah Faber, who lost a unanimous decision to Aldo in 2010, to formulate a game plan against Aldo. Mendes didn’t give away all of his strategies, but he did say he believes other opponents have been too cautious and passive and failed to take the fight to Aldo.
“I’ve watched his last few fights and that’s something that’s helped us put together a good game plan for this fight. I’ve sat down with Urijah,” Mendes said. “Fighters stand in front of him too much. You’ve got to put pressure on Jose. He’s the kind who will pick you apart.”
Given his wrestling background, it’s no surprise that Mendes plans to clinch with Aldo and attempt to take him down.
“Guys have to get their hands on him more,” Mendes said. “Honestly, I don’t think any of the guys who have fought him have had half the wrestling credentials — or the wrestling ability — to get him down and hold him down. I think my strengths are my keys to beating Jose.”
Mendes said he has no qualms about going to Brazil and beating a popular local fighter in front of a capacity crowd.
“Beating the champion in his own backyard? To me there’s no better way to prove that I’m the best 145-pound fighter,” Mendes said. “This is the best shape I’ve ever been in and I’m excited to get this opportunity.”
Just five months after their last visit to the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UFC returns with another card headlined by native heroes. In UFC 142‘s main event, featherweight champion Jose Aldo — who has now won ten straight fights in the WEC/UFC — looks to make another belt defense against undefeated Team Alpha Male wrestling specialist Chad “Money” Mendes, who will be hoping to put Aldo on his back as much as possible and score some revenge for Urijah Faber’s leg.
In the co-main event, middleweight contender Vitor Belfort returns from his latest injury layoff to welcome Anthony Johnson to the middleweight division, in a matchup that contains too much explosive athleticism for its own damn good.
All 11 fights on the “Aldo vs. Mendes” card feature at least one Brazilian, with Rousimar Palhares, Edson Barboza, and Gabriel Gonzaga making return appearances. The full UFC 142 lineup is after the jump…
Just five months after their last visit to the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UFC returns with another card headlined by native heroes. In UFC 142‘s main event, featherweight champion Jose Aldo — who has now won ten straight fights in the WEC/UFC — looks to make another belt defense against undefeated Team Alpha Male wrestling specialist Chad “Money” Mendes, who will be hoping to put Aldo on his back as much as possible and score some revenge for Urijah Faber’s leg.
In the co-main event, middleweight contender Vitor Belfort returns from his latest injury layoff to welcome Anthony Johnson to the middleweight division, in a matchup that contains too much explosive athleticism for its own damn good.
All 11 fights on the “Aldo vs. Mendes” card feature at least one Brazilian, with Rousimar Palhares, Edson Barboza, and Gabriel Gonzaga making return appearances. The full UFC 142 lineup is after the jump…
MAIN CARD (PPV)
Jose Aldovs. Chad Mendes (for FW title)
Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson (MW)
Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio (MW)
Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater (WW)
Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim (LW)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)
Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout (LW)
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Edinaldo Oliveira (HW)
Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa (FW)
Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle (WW)
Fabio Maldonado vs. Caio Magalhaes (LHW)
Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho (FW)
Back when Jose Aldo was a rising prospect in the WEC, it was obvious he was destined for greatness.
Chad Mendes