UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo finished his first WEC title fight win in style.
Before becoming one of the UFC’s greatest legends, Jose Aldo made a name for himself in WEC as the promotion’s featherweight titleholder. From the favela to the cage, Aldo’s remarkable journey to MMA stardom with a brutal knockout win at WEC 38.
Aldo and Rolando Perez clashed in a featherweight title eliminator at WEC 38 on a fight card headlined by Jamie Varner vs. Donald Cerrone. It was a pivotal matchup in the WEC featherweight division at a time when featherweights were just starting to garner respect in Mixed Martial Arts.
Aldo was a massive part of the featherweight division’s rise, as he demonstrated firsthand against Perez.
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Jose Aldo knee’d rival unconscious en route to first WEC championship win
Aldo began the action by smashing Perez with leg kicks in the opening seconds, quickly hobbling his featherweight foe. Moving in and out to lock in Perez’s timing, Aldo didn’t need long to find his confidence with his trademark striking inside the cage.
Perez left his chin high in the air as he tried to press forward and pressure Aldo, leaving him exposed to the future UFC legend’s timely striking techniques. As Perez moved forward with under a minute left in the first round, Aldo landed a beautifully-timed flying knee that sent Perez flying backwards unconscious before he hit the canvas.
Aldo sealed the deal with a few ground-and-pound strikes before the referee stepped in to wave off the fight. It was a remarkable start to the WEC 38 main card and, at the time, the most important win of Aldo’s young career.
Watch Aldo’s memorable finish below.
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Jose Aldo retired at UFC 315 after several health issues threatened main card fight
Just three fights later, Aldo knocked out current American Top Team head coach Mike Brown at WEC 44 to win the promotion’s featherweight championship. After two successful title defenses against Urijah Faber and Manny Gamburyan, Aldo carried over the WEC featherweight title to the UFC after the promotion’s merger.
Aldo went on to have one of the most dominant title reigns in UFC history, defeating the likes of Chad Mendes, Kenny Florian, and Frankie Edgar during his featherweight championship stint. He would lose the featherweight belt to Conor McGregor in a quick knockout at UFC 194.
Aldo entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023 after announcing his MMA retirement at UFC 278 following a loss to Merab Dvalishvili. But he’d later return to the Octagon at UFC 301, defeating Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision in Brazil.
Aldo announced his second MMA retirement on Saturday night at UFC 315 following a controversial loss to Aiemann Zahabi. He’s considered one of the greatest fighters in the history of MMA.