José Aldo and how Conor McGregor made him famous in the UFC

José Aldo needs no introduction. The Brazilian fighter debuted in the mixed martial arts company run by Dana White back in 2011 after his time in the WEC before it was merged with the UFC, all while a young Conor McGregor continued to battle against fellow Irishmen building a legacy that would open the doors to the UFC later on. Some time later, the two would face each other to contest the featherweight belt.

Júnior back for more

Júnior is back. He put his defeat to Merab Dvalishvili back in August 2022 behind him to face Jonathan Martinez at the upcoming UFC 301. To get to this point, he has been the protagonist of many iconic moments within the MMA company, although perhaps the most famous among the non-specialized public was against McGregor.

And the former two-time UFC champion defended his interim Featherweight title at UFC 192 against José Aldo with a spectacular performance. It took no more than 13 seconds for Notorious to land a straight left right on the jaw of the Brazilian, who crashed to the canvas.

Plaudits for McGregor

The Irishman obtained recognition on several counts, claiming the ‘Fastest Finish in a title fight’, ‘Performance of the Night’ and the ‘K.O. of the Year’. Titles that laid the foundation for everything that would come later.

For his part, Aldo became champion again after McGregor did not defend the title, although he lost again even on two occasions against a Max Holloway who is experiencing a second golden age today. He is also a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, something that shows the type of fighter he is.

Now José Aldo has another challenge ahead of him in front of all his fans in Brazil against the American Jonathan Martinez, ranked number 13 in the Bantamweight division, and who arrives with six consecutive victories and achieving a ‘Performance of the Night’ against Cub Swanson and Adrian Yanez.