Jose Aldo’s Nickname: Why Is the Ex-UFC Champ Called ‘Scarface’ and ‘Junior’?

UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo has been on a mission to impress the fighting community with his fighting prowess. Winning a bout right after his return from retirement sent a cheerful wave through the world of mixed martial arts. But as the 38-year-old continues to strive for a better stance in the UFC, the fight fans keep wondering about the monikers that the Brazilian fighter has amassed.

A true featherweight legend, Jose Aldo has had a couple of nicknames, that are quite popular in his fandom, the first being ‘Junior‘ and the other being ‘Scarface‘. Let us explore the real reason Aldo got these names.

Meaning behind Jose Aldo’s nicknames ‘Scarface’, ‘Junior’, and more

Born Jose Aldo da Silva Oliveira Junior, José Aldo’s nickname ‘Junior’ is widely believed to be a generational suffix that many people use if they have the same name as their father. But there is also this belief that the UFC Hall of Famer’s nickname is a shorter version of his middle name, Alexandre. However, we don’t know if it’s true, since Aldo has never shed any light on that front.

Now let’s take a look at his other nickname. Jose Aldo has a well-recognizable physical feature. It’s not the cauliflower ear that most MMA fighters have. Rather, it’s the large scar that he has on his left cheek. This gave rise to the nickname ‘Scarface’, a callback to the classic Al Pacino movie from the early 1980s. ‘Scarface’ has got that intimidation factor that can send shivers down one’s spine, don’t you agree? This scar also earned him the moniker, ‘Junior Mac’. However, not much is known about this nickname.

And if you think that the Brazilian has just these three nicknames, you’re in for a treat. Many combat sports enthusiasts often refer to Aldo as the ‘King of Rio’. Needless to say, this moniker points to his home in Rio de Janeiro, and his impressive mixed martial arts record. After all, Aldo had claimed the UFC featherweight championship title twice and was also inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. It’s definitely not something an average man could achieve.

But the most prominent feature on Aldo’s face is the scar. Do you know the story behind it? Well, it does have a little bit of barbecue in it.

How did Jose Aldo get the scar on his face?

The former featherweight champion got the scar on his face back when he was a young child. Moreover, that was a result of a weird accident, which took place when he was at a family party. The eldest in his family, who is his sister, Joseline, picked up his cot, and threw it at his other sisters. The harrowing part was that Aldo’s sister was unaware that her little brother was inside the cot when she threw it.

The cot missed Jose Aldo’s other sister, and it crashed on a barbecue, with his face coming straight in contact with fire. Fortunately, nothing serious happened to the Hall of Famer, but he did get that scar, which has now become his most-known feature among the UFC fan base. But we can safely assume that it must have been very painful since Aldo was just an infant.

“They were playing around and threw me in there. It was hot. I was a little baby. They were little kids. There was another time when my little sister broke my head. I have all kinds of stories,” ‘Junior’ revealed in an interview back in 2009.

Despite getting scarred for life, it did not affect him from a mental standpoint. The man grew up to be one of the most famous MMA fighters and even today, at 38 years of age, he is still fighting to perhaps become a champion in a second division. Now, the Brazilian mixed martial artist is all set to land against Mario Bautista at UFC 307.

What do you think? Will he be able to defeat Bautista? Drop down to the comments below and let us know what you think.