Age, Biography, and Wiki
José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Junior was born on September 9, 1986, in Manaus, Brazil. He is best known for his remarkable skills in the UFC, where he has won multiple championships, including three UFC Featherweight titles and the WEC Featherweight Championship before the WEC merged with the UFC. His MMA career is marked by a long undefeated streak until his first professional loss in 2005, followed by an impressive run of 18 consecutive wins before being defeated by Conor McGregor in 2015.
| Occupation | Martial Artist |
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| Date of Birth | 9 September 1986 |
| Age | 38 Years |
| Birth Place | Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil |
| Horoscope | Virgo |
| Country | Brazil |
Height, Weight & Measurements
- Height: 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
- Weight: Has competed at both Featherweight (145 lbs) and Bantamweight (135 lbs)
- Aldo's physical attributes have contributed significantly to his success in the sport, with his height and weight allowing him to maintain agility and power in the octagon.
Five months later he fought MMA newcomer Luiz de Paula at Shooto – Brazil 7. Aldo took de Paula down in the clinch early on in the fight. He quickly gained mount, where he rained down punches before transitioning to an arm-triangle choke, forcing de Paula to tap at 1:54 of the first round.
Only a month later, in November 2005, Aldo went up a weight class to lightweight and fought respected Luta Livre black belt Luciano Azevedo at Jungle Fight 5. Aldo won the first round, winning most of the exchanges with solid combinations and leg kicks and stuffing Azevedo's numerous takedown attempts (he was nearly taken down early in the round, but appeared to purposefully fall out of the ropes to force a restart from the referee), as well as landing a solid knee as Azevedo went for a takedown. Aldo shrugged off Azevedo's first few takedown attempts in the second but was eventually taken down against the ropes by a double leg. Aldo raised his hips up looking for triangles and other submissions, but Azevedo easily defended.
Aldo rebounded in his next fight, returning to featherweight against the then-undefeated Thiago "Minu" Meller at Gold Fighters Championship I on 20 May 2006, winning a unanimous decision in a very close fight. Round one could have gone either way, with Aldo getting two takedowns (both times getting into half-guard) and cutting Meller's right eyebrow with a left hand. Meller went for two armbars, nearly hyper-extending Aldo's right arm in the first attempt before Aldo was able to escape. Aldo won a lackluster round two, again taking Meller down and landing some hammer fists. A seemingly exhausted Aldo stalled against the ropes much of the third round, holding Meller in the clinch. Both landed some solid strikes in the few exchanges there were in the round.
Aldo and his camp have often mentioned his desire to eventually make the move up in weight to the lightweight division (155-pound limit). Having rolled through all of his opposition in the WEC featherweight class, the UFC offered Aldo a fight against Kenny Florian, who has challenged for the UFC lightweight title. Aldo and his camp declined the fight, instead deciding to remain at featherweight for the time being to defend his WEC belt.
On 28 October 2010, World Extreme Cagefighting merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC. Aldo became the inaugural UFC Featherweight Champion, receiving the first ever UFC featherweight title belt on Saturday, 20 November 2010 at UFC 123. His first defense was set to take place at UFC 125 against Josh Grispi. Aldo was forced to withdraw from UFC 125 after suffering a neck injury.
Aldo was expected to face Anthony Pettis on 3 August 2013, at UFC 163. However, in mid-June Pettis pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury and was replaced by Chan Sung Jung. Aldo defeated Jung via fourth-round TKO, finishing Jung with a flurry of strikes after Jung suffered a dislocated shoulder while throwing an overhand right.
Aldo faced Aiemann Zahabi in a Featherweight bout on 10 May 2025 at UFC 315. The bout was originally scheduled for Bantamweight, but was changed on the day of the weigh-ins after Aldo couldn't make weight. He lost the bout by unanimous decision and announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition in his post-fight interview. 16 out of 20 media outlets scored the bout for Aldo.
| Height | 5 ft 7 in |
| Weight | 143 lb |
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Dating & Relationship Status
José Aldo is married to Vivianne Aldo, whom he wed in 2005. The couple has been together for over 18 years, and Vivianne has been a supportive partner throughout his career.
As an infant, he was dropped onto a barbecue, leaving a permanent scar on the left side of his face. Throughout his teen years, he was keen on football and wanted to become a professional. His aspirations were supported by his father. But Aldo grew tired of getting beaten up in fights on the street, thus starting to train capoeira to learn ways to defend himself better in brawls. Aldo used to train capoeira on the streets after the classes, once gaining attention of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer. He invited Aldo to try one session of jiu-jitsu and after the session, Aldo decided to leave capoeira to start training jiu-jitsu. At the age of 17, Aldo moved from Manaus to Rio de Janeiro having only his clothes with him and determination to train mixed martial arts there until he achieved something in the sport. He is a teammate and training partner of former UFC Bantamweight champion Renan Barão at Nova União.
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Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, José Aldo's net worth is estimated to be approximately $9 million, according to various sources. His earnings primarily come from his UFC career, including fight purses and bonuses, as well as endorsement deals. His total recorded fight earnings are slightly over $9.5 million.
A rematch with Chad Mendes was expected to take place on 2 August 2014, in the event headliner at UFC 176. However, in early July, Aldo pulled out of the bout with an injury. The rematch with Mendes was subsequently rescheduled and took place for 25 October 2014 at UFC 179. Despite getting dropped in the first round and being rocked in the third, Aldo scored two knockdowns of his own, one in the first and the other in the third and also rocked Mendes throughout the fight, winning four of the five rounds in the eyes of the judges thus taking the fight by unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, and 49–46). The win also earned him his third Fight of the Night bonus award, and was selected Fight of the Year by multiple MMA outlets.
Aldo faced interim featherweight champion Max Holloway in a title unification bout on 3 June 2017, in the main event at UFC 212. After winning the first two rounds on all three judges scorecards, he lost the fight by TKO in the third round. Despite the loss, the fight earned Aldo his fourth Fight of the Night bonus award. This was Aldo's 3rd loss in his 29 fight career.
Career, Business, and Investments
Aldo's career in MMA is marked by his dominant performances and strategic business moves. He has been one of the highest-paid featherweights in UFC history, with his success extending beyond the octagon to include significant endorsement deals. His sponsorship with companies like Stake.com highlights his ability to leverage his fame into lucrative partnerships.
Aldo initially retired from MMA but returned to compete, demonstrating his enduring passion for the sport. His legacy as potentially the greatest featherweight in MMA history continues to inspire new generations of fighters.
Aldo faced former titleholder Urijah Faber on 24 April 2010, at WEC 48. Aldo defeated Faber via unanimous decision (49–45, 49–45, and 50–45). Aldo was able to use effective leg and body kicks (a total of thirty-two ) to stifle Faber, sending him to the canvas several times with solid kicks. For the remaining 1:40 of the fourth round, Aldo trapped Faber in the crucifix, peppering him with punches and elbows. Aldo did not engage most of the fifth (although he did land a body shot that nearly crumpled Faber). This was Aldo's first decision win in his WEC career.
On 24 June 2019, it was announced that Aldo had signed a new exclusive eight-fight contract with the UFC prior to his bout with Volkanovski. This marked a major deviation from Aldo's previous firm stance on retiring by the end of 2019, in which he stated "I had already planned to stop when I was 30 years old and begin something else. I'm at a point where I have to make a decision, and nothing is going to change my mind. Martial arts is always going to be a part of my life, but everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end. And I see this coming to an end."
Social Network
While specific details about Aldo's social media presence are not widely documented, his influence in the MMA community is substantial, with fans and fellow fighters alike following his career and performances.
Aldo next faced Chad Mendes on 14 January 2012, at UFC 142, Aldo won via KO in the final second of the first round. His post-fight celebration, where he sprinted out of the cage and into the crowd at the HSBC Arena in Rio, is regarded as one of his most iconic moments as champion.
Aldo again was in talks to fight Pettis after defending his title against Lamas. At the post-fight press conference, Aldo expressed interest to move up and fight Pettis at 155 lbs. However, those plans were quickly refuted as Pettis was selected to serve as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 20.
Education
Details about Aldo's formal education are not extensively documented. However, his rise to fame in MMA began at a young age, with early training in capoeira and other martial arts disciplines, which eventually led him to professional MMA fighting.
In conclusion, José Aldo's net worth and career reflect a combination of his martial arts prowess, business acumen, and enduring popularity in the MMA world.
