5 Best Moments of Jose Aldo's Career
Sure, Chad Mendes might be able to stamp his place in history by putting an end to Aldo's 17-fight winning streak in front of what could be 11,000 of the champion's countrymen. Perhaps Aldo runs through Mendes once more, ruining Mendes' hopes of bringing a second title to Team Alpha Male.
He was the greatest MMA featherweight before fighting Mendes for a second time. He will be the greatest MMA featherweight after fighting Mendes for a second time.
The following slides illustrate the greatest moments that have helped solidify Aldo's place in the UFC's version of Cooperstown, New York.
Honorable Mention: Aldo Buys His First Suit
1 of 6All right, so maybe this isn't exactly one of Jose Aldo's greatest moments per se; but you'd have a hard time convincing me that this isn't a beautiful reminder of how far the featherweight champion has come.
Aldo went from fighting one-and-done guys like Mario Bigola for obscure promotions known as EcoFight in 2004 to fighting the Frankie Edgars of the world for the most prominent promotion on the planet. There's no reason for a two-piece suit for the former; there's plenty of reasons to have one for the latter.
Regardless of the reason, Aldo's dressing as sharp as his leg kicks these days and we're all the better for it.
WEC 44: Aldo Defeats Brown for WEC Featherweight Title
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Jose Aldo introduced himself to the WEC faithful with five straight (T)KO finishes before he could challenge for the title.
At the time, WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown was fresh off his second title defense and second victory against WEC poster-boy Urijah Faber, all but solidifying himself as the true heir to Faber's former throne.
Then Aldo came in and forever changed the script.
Plenty of people gave Aldo a chance in this one, but plenty of people still believed Brown's wrestling offense would prove the proper answer to the challenger's game plan. It only took six minutes and 20 seconds to prove the defying group wrong.
WEC 48: Aldo Defends Title and Destroys Faber's Leg
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It's rare you feel bad for any guy in combat sports, especially when that guy is Urijah Faber.
It's not as if the California Kid was undefeated before he stepped into the WEC cage with Jose Aldo; we just hadn't seen him manhandled in such a way yet.
The first few leg kicks gave Faber reason to switch stances. The final few leg kicks gave us reason to hope somebody would put an end to the bout. Aldo and his leg kicks were real, very real.
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UFC 129: Aldo Makes UFC Debut
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Things couldn't have been going any better for Jose Aldo in 2010. Then came 2011 and Aldo suddenly found himself inside of the UFC's Octagon.
As the UFC saw it, the world was ready for Aldo and the rest of the WEC.
It wouldn't necessarily be the same sort of performance we were used to seeing in his initial run for the WEC title, but at least the greater MMA community would start to get to know the pound-for-pound great.
UFC 142: Aldo KOs Mendes, Runs into the Stands
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Jose Aldo's first two title defenses as the UFC featherweight champ were never in question—he was clearly the better fighter in both bouts. There was just one problem, though: he wasn't leaving his opponents in a helpless mess like before.
But then he stepped into the cage with Chad Mendes in Rio de Janeiro and the UFC fans all around the world could finally meet the striking assassin.
Not one to let a perfectly good opportunity go to waste, Aldo stormed out of the cage and into the arms of his countrymen in celebration of his first UFC knockout victory. A terrible night for ringside security; a wonderful night for Aldo and all his fans.
UFC 156: Aldo Welcomes Edgar to 145
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A snazzy two-piece suit? Check.
A 20-pound piece of gold around his waist? Check.
As of 2012, there was only one thing missing from his résumé: a bona fide "superfight" with another champion. Two years later, and Aldo still doesn't have that—especially considering Frankie Edgar had lost back-to-back title fights against Benson Henderson.
Nevertheless, Aldo finally managed to step inside the cage with a competitive UFC opponent whose name most fans could recognize. The fight was close, but Aldo's star only brightened in the aftermath.
When will Aldo's next best moment come? Will it be the almost-inevitable, highly anticipated bout with Conor McGregor? Will it be the day he decides to pack on an extra 10 pounds to challenge the best lightweights in the world? Sound off below.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University's student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
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