UFC 129 Fight Card: What to Expect from Jose Aldo's UFC Debut?

UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo is quickly becoming one the most talked about fighters in mixed martial arts.

Known for his explosive striking and devastating kicks and combinations, the 24-year-old is comfortably placed among the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, currently ranked at No. 3.

At UFC 129, Aldo will make his UFC debut when he defends his featherweight title against No. 1 contender Mark Hominick.

Although the transition in competition is vastly different, MMA fans will be eagerly awaiting for Aldo to be making his presence felt in the UFC. In anticipation of his upcoming title bout, we'll take a look at some the things fans can expect from Aldo once he steps inside the octagon.

What can we expect from Jose Aldo's UFC debut?

1) Striking

If there is one area Jose Aldo has no visible weaknesses in, it's his striking. Aldo displays some the best striking in MMA and has earned seven knockouts in his last eight bouts.

While competing in the now defunct WEC, Aldo picked up victories over some of the featherweight division's top stars, including Manny Gamburyan, Urijah Faber and Mike Thomas Brown. His tenacious, accurate striking provided a lot of difficulty for his opponents to defend against. His versatility is in full display when he attempts to finish his opponents, using a combination of knees, kicks and strikes, overwhelming them in the process and then sending them crumbling to the canvas.

The scary thing is that Aldo is not widely renowned for his striking, he also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

2) Knockout Ability

Along with possessing great striking ability, Aldo carries knockout ability as well.

His professional record speaks for itself; Aldo has picked up 12 knockouts in 19 fights.

The Brazilian holds the WEC record with eight consecutive wins and during his tenure in the organization he recieved Knockout of the Night honours three times. His bout versus Cub Swanson at WEC 41: Faber vs. Brown II lasted just eight seconds, as Aldo immediately landed a double flying knee that dropped his opponent.

The win was evident that Aldo is not only a creative striker, but he can end a fight instantaneously.  

3) A Relentless Pace

Aldo fights with a killer instinct in his bouts that simply cannot be taught. Many fans and pundits have dubbed the Rio de Janeiro native a "featherweight version of Anderson Silva."

If you watch any of his fights you will find that Aldo tends to set the pace of the fight early due to his aggressive approach. He likes to impose his will and find his rhythm on his opponent instantly, constantly pressing forward and throwing combinations.

While constantly pushing forward and becoming more aggressive with each attack, Aldo begins to find openings on his opponents. From there, the Brazilian swarms on them. He batters them with vicious leg kicks, creative striking combinations and a determination to put them away.

Simply put, Aldo will continue to fight until his opponent no longer can.

4) Submission Skills.

Although he has earned a majority of his victories by KO/TKO, Aldo does hold a black belt in BJJ.

Aldo holds one submission victory throughout his MMA career, submitting Luiz de Paula via rear naked choke at Shooto Brazil 7 in 2005.

It may not serve much purpose, but it is a credential Aldo holds, thus showing that he is a well-rounded mixed martial artist who is capable of finishing an opponent in more ways than one.

5) An Experienced Fighter.

At 24 years old, Aldo would appear to be relatively young in MMA. However, Aldo holds quite a bit of experience under his belt, as he has been competing in MMA professionally since he was 17 years old.

Prior to entering the WEC or the UFC, Aldo began establishing his name throughout Brazil, competing in Shooto and Vale Tudo organizations. In fact, in his first seven fights, Aldo finished all of his opponents by KO or submission.

With his aggressive style and experience, Jose Aldo looks to be an unstoppable force and an intimidating figure for whoever he faces.