UFC 301 is just days away and Jose Aldo is all set to return to the limelight of the Octagon to take on Jonathan Martinez. As he prepares for his UFC comeback, Aldo is riding a one-fight losing streak and is already 37 years old. However, the consensus featherweight GOAT is not in the mood to lay his gloves down. Very few fighters in the realm of UFC can look back and say that they have accomplished everything but Jose Aldo is not one of them.

There was a time when Aldo was known as the boogeyman of the UFC. He was undefeated for 10 years until he met Conor McGregor at UFC 194. Such power and consistency are rarely seen in one’s career and most of it can be attributed to Aldo’s superior fighting skills. Ahead of his clash against Martinez let’s have a look at what shaped ‘Scarface’ into what he is.

What martial arts does the former featherweight champ use?

Jose Aldo’s record speaks for itself even at such a stage when he is way past his prime. ‘Scarface’ has won five out of his last nine fights. Out of his 31 victories in professional MMA, 17 came by way of knockout. It would not be wrong to state that Aldo was one of the reasons why Brazil became such a powerhouse in the realm of MMA. So a farewell (if it happens) in Brazil would be fitting for the former champion.

Jose Aldo’s fighting style was, simply put, dynamic. In the initial phase of his career, Aldo used leg kicks as his way to get past his opponents. His leg kicks were so effective that more and more Brazilian fighters started using the same move on their opponents. Later, the MMA community termed it as ‘The art of Brazilian Low kicks’. Ironically, he also had amazing legkick defense as well.

Aldo also used Muay Thai alongside boxing techniques to give him the knock-out power that he has. Despite coming from a nation that is known to use Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as its base for MMA, Aldo seldom took help from grappling or wrestling to take on his opponents in MMA. His takedown defense was spot on, and he believed in the definitive nature of knockout finishes.

Jose Aldo’s boxing and leg kicks are known by every person in the MMA community but there’s a part of ‘Junior’ that is dominant but the community seldom knows about it. Let’s see what it is.

Jose Aldo’s Muay Thai and BJJ background

The king of Rio ran away from his home to the streets of Rio de Janeiro at the age of 16. After struggling for a while, Aldo came under the guidance of legendary BJJ coach André Pederneiras from Nova Uniao. The coach sensed something unique about Aldo and helped him by allowing him to stay in the gym and train under him free of cost.

Aldo’s determination to achieve success took him from the streets of Favelas to Jiu-Jitsu championships. His BJJ career was noteworthy and he achieved many accolades such as World Cup Champion – CBJJO (2004 brown belt division), Brazilian National Champion (2003 purple belt), and World Championship Bronze Medallist (2001 blue belt). However, despite having such an amazing career, Aldo knew that he had to make a transition to make a living out of fighting. He transitioned into MMA soon after.

Aldo’s Muay Thai is top-notch as well. After his loss against Conor McGregor at UFC 194, Aldo understood that the time had come for him to get back to his roots. The defeat was harsh on the Brazilian as the fight was not only about defending the belt but also defending the pride of Brazil which was shattered by McGregor. ‘Mystic Mac’ got the better of Aldo as he dropped him in the very first round.

Aldo understood that he had to change his thinking and recruited Emerson Falcao, a Muay Thai kickboxing champion who also trains at Nova Uniao for his camp for his fight against Frankie Edgar. He has been effectively using the art of eight limbs since then. People in his gym state that Aldo trains drastically in Muay Thai and it has affected him over the years.

Nonetheless, Aldo has been one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of fighting. But will he be able to continue his dominance or was retirement the right call? We will find out on May 4.