Jose Aldo fight record: Featherweight dominance, McGregor loss & return

Jose Aldo is widely regarded as one of the best featherweights to have entered the UFC ranks and is still competing at the top end of the promotion, aged 37.

Aldo came out of retirement in 2024 and is now campaigning in the bantamweight division. He returned as the co-main event at UFC 301, beating Jonathan Martinez by decision.

The win was the 40th fight of Aldo’s storied mixed martial arts career, as the living legend notched a win in front of his home fans in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

The Hall of Famer earned his reputation as the top fighter at 145 pounds thanks to his lengthy resume of punishing knockouts, superb punching ability, and an MMA record that few of his peers can match.

Here is a look back at Aldo’s UFC record and some of his most famous fights over the years.

Contents

• Rolando Perez, 2009
• Cub Swanson, 2009
• Mike Brown, 2009
• Chad Mendes, 2012
• Conor McGregor, 2015
• Max Holloway 1, 2017
• Max Holloway 2, 2017
• Marlon Moraes, 2019
• Petr Yan, 2020
• Pedro Munhoz, 2021
• Rob Font, 2021
• Merab Dvalishvili, 2023

Rolando Perez, 2009

The 22-year-old Aldo was making a name for himself early in his MMA career in the WEC (now the UFC) when he was put up against Rolando Perez in his 14th fight.

With 49 seconds left in round one, Aldo landed a devastating knee that put Perez on his back. His foe was finished from that point, as Aldo let off a flurry and forced the referee to wave off the fight.

Matches like this helped Aldo become a fan favorite as the promotion rose in prominence.

Cub Swanson, 2009

All-time greats typically have at least one fight where their opponent looked like they had no business being in the octagon. That’s what shaped up when Aldo took on Cub Swanson in 2009.

At this time, ‘Scarface’ was becoming a prominent face in the then-WEC promotion with a 14-1 record to his name. It turned into 15-1 in less than 10 seconds.

Aldo beautifully pulled off a knee feint and exploded for a knockout strike with his left leg to win the WEC featherweight title eliminator match and set himself up to compete for the crown.

Mike Brown, 2009

Fights like Aldo’s battle against submission specialist Mike Brown in 2009 stamped him as an all-time great mixed martial artist early in his career.

Aldo used deceptive feints that opened up Brown’s guard and left him susceptible to a combination that left the reigning champ hanging on to him for dear life.

It didn’t take much longer for Aldo to put the finishing touches on Brown. He seized the WEC featherweight title with the victory and went on to defend it nine times in the span of six years.

Chad Mendes, 2012

Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes was a special moment in MMA history. Aldo exhibited a world class ability to prevent Mendes’ many takedown attempts.

After he got wrapped up from behind by the California native, ‘Scarface’ pulled off a gorgeous move, spinning out of the clinch and knocking Mendes out with a vicious kick to the face.

Immediately after the contest was stopped, Aldo charged into the stands and was swarmed by a huge mob of fans that went wild over his stunning KO. The Brazilian lived to see another day as undisputed featherweight champion.

Conor McGregor, 2015

(Credit: Associated Press)

Jose Aldo vs Conor McGregor is one of the most famous UFC fights to ever grace the octagon. Unfortunately for Aldo, he was on the wrong side of history in this bout.

McGregor landed a left cross on the reigning UFC featherweight champ as he charged at him, scoring the knockout win for the Irishman in 13 seconds.

McGregor’s trash talk before the fight was just as riveting as his KO, as he threw darts at a picture of Aldo at a Brazilian venue before the fight, promising to be just as accurate with his fists in the octagon.

This shocking win began McGregor’s rise to superstardom, while the loss for Aldo signaled the beginning of the end of his prime as the best in the division.

Max Holloway 1, 2017

Jose Aldo rebounded after losing the UFC featherweight title to Conor McGregor by reclaiming the vacated belt in his next fight before defending it against Max Holloway in 2017.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist set the tone early by connecting on many flush strikes to Holloway’s face. Things changed when ‘Blessed’ began to showboat and shrug off Aldo’s power.

Once the Hawaii native got the champion on the ground, he pummeled Aldo with relentless strikes behind the head, forcing the referee to stop the fight via TKO.

Max Holloway 2, 2017

(Credit: Associated Press)

Aldo would get a second chance at beating Holloway in their rematch later that year. Much like the first fight, ‘Scarface’ landed impressive strikes early, including a nice uppercut that Holloway tried to brush off with casual bravado.

The match felt like an episode of déjà vu, as Holloway was able to eat strikes from Aldo that would have knocked most other fighters out.

A series of combinations by ‘Blessed’ sent the then-30-year-old Aldo to the canvas. Holloway unleashed on the back of his head, scoring a similar knockout from the first fight to retain the undisputed featherweight crown.

Marlon Moraes, 2019

(Credit: Associated Press)

Aldo entered UFC 245 as a slight underdog against the 22-6-1 Marlon Moraes. This match was slower-paced than usual for ‘Scarface,’ but it did not stop him from doing what he does best.

The crafty Brazilian let his hands fly with precision as he chased the elusive Moraes offensively while also thwarting his balanced attack defensively.

Though Aldo felt like he won the fight, two judges saw things differently and gave Moraes the split-decision victory. The former champ fell to 28-6 with the loss.

Petr Yan, 2020

Petr Yan was simply the better man when he went up against Jose Aldo at UFC 251. Whether it was sharp combinations or boastful spinning elbows, the Russian fighter overwhelmed the Brazilian with a flurry of punches to secure an easy TKO.

This poor showing marked the third straight loss for Aldo, capping off the worst stretch of his career. ‘Scarface’ went 2-5 from his first loss to Holloway until his loss to Yan.

His UFC 251 title bout would also be the last time Aldo fought for a championship in the company.

Pedro Munhoz, 2021

(Credit: Associated Press)

Jose Aldo set a record in his fight against Pedro Munhoz in 2021 by breaking his own personal best for significant strikes landed as he peppered the California native with snappy straight right hands all fight.

Munhoz knew he had lost before the referee could even raise Aldo’s hand. In a press conference before the fight, Munoz said, “I’m a banger, he’s [Aldo] a banger, you know, and that’s the type of fight I like to be in.”

After the fight, Munoz told Aldo, “I’m far from being on your level.” Although the former UFC champ played the comment off humbly, the tape proved he was in a different class.

Rob Font, 2021

Aldo had his work cut out for him against Rob Font in 2021. Font held significant height and reach advantages and switched stances with regularity.

‘Scarface’ took his time downloading information from the 5-foot-8 contender, feeling Font out for much of the opening round.

Aldo found openings when it mattered, allowing him to score knockdowns from punches in each of the first two rounds. He’d win the fight and improve to 31-7 for his MMA career.

Merab Dvalishvili, 2023

Even at 35 years old, Aldo still looked spry and agile. He was able to thwart Merab Dvalishvili every time the Georgian tried to take him down.

However, his defensive efforts were the best he mustered up in the fight, as the former champion failed to get anything going on offense.

Dvalishvili was the aggressor and did more to win over the judges for a unanimous decision victory. Aldo had his three-fight winning streak broken as a result.

The last image the Brazilian left the MMA world was not his best, but it wasn’t a nail in his UFC legacy. He’s still amongst the greatest of all time.

Jose Aldo’s MMA record

Aldo owns a professional record of 32-8 in 40 career fights. He earned 17 of those 31 wins by way of knockout and another by way of submission.