Jose Aldo News: Ex-Featherweight Champion In '30 Under 30' Forbes List
Former long-time featherweight champion José Aldo is still being recognized for his mixed martial arts accolades, despite his stunning loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 194 on December 12th in Las Vegas.
"The Notorious" made quick work of Aldo through one straight left, instantly sending the Brazilian down to the canvas within mere 13 seconds of the bout. It was recorded as the second-fastest stoppage in UFC title fight history.
Aldo's list of accomplishments in mixed martial arts is a notable one to say the least. Having held the 145-pound world title for ten years, he is still the first featherweight champion in UFC history, having carried over his title from the now defunct promotion company, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). Upon winning the WEC title in 2009, he was able to defend it twice, before officially signing with the UFC.
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Once he was part of the roster, Aldo was able to defend his belt inside the Octagon a total of seven times, against the toughest of opponents, such as Kenny Florian, Frankie Edgar, and Chad Mendes, who he fought twice. This is why Forbes.com still recognized the Brazilian fighter in their "30 under 30" list.
"Even with his UFC 194 loss, Aldo would still make any comprehensive list of great UFC fighters. He was the defending featherweight UFC champion and was ranked No. 1 in official UFC pound-for-pound rankings. He also went a decade without losing a match since 2005 and reigned as a world champion for 6 years," Forbes wrote in their description for the Team Nova União standout.
In a separate report by Bloody Elbow, Aldo was the only one among his contemporaries in the UFC, who are also under 30 years old. In 2014, however, Ronda Rousey was on the said list. Former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, on the other hand, made it to last year's list.
For 2016, Aldo has joined the likes of 2015 NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry, CBS Sports reporter Allie LaForce, Portland Trailblazers point guard Damian Lillard, and Oklahoma City Thunder Russell Westbrook, just to name a few.
